title: The eye as an organizer of craniofacial development.
abstract: The formation and invagination of the optic stalk coincides with the migration of cranial neural crest (CNC) cells, and a growing body of data reveals that the optic stalk and CNC cells communicate to lay the foundations for periocular and craniofacial development. Following migration, the interaction between the developing eye and surrounding periocular mesenchyme (POM) continues, leading to induction of transcriptional regulatory cascades that regulate craniofacial morphogenesis. Studies in chick, mice, and zebrafish have revealed a remarkable level of genetic and mechanistic conservation, affirming the power of each animal model to shed light on the broader morphogenic process. This review will focus on the role of the developing eye in orchestrating craniofacial morphogenesis, utilizing morphogenic gradients, paracrine signaling, and transcriptional regulatory cascades to establish an evolutionarily-conserved facial architecture. We propose that in addition to the forebrain, the eye functions during early craniofacial morphogenesis as a key organizer of facial development, independent of its role in vision.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Phillip E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Kish
authors.forename: Brenda L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Bohnsack
authors.forename: Donika
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gallina
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Kasprick
authors.forename: Alon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kahana
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D005123:Eye / Q000196:embryology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008445:Maxillofacial Development / Q000502:physiology*; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000502:physiology*; D019899:Paracrine Communication / Q000502:physiology; D012886:Skull / Q000196:embryology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D000097577:Homeobox Protein PITX2
chemical_list: D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000097577:Homeobox Protein PITX2