title: Method of Studying Palatal Fusion using Static Organ Culture.
abstract: Cleft lip and palate are among the most common of all birth defects. The secondary palate forms from mesenchymal shelves covered with epithelium that adheres to form the midline epithelial seam (MES). The theories suggest that MES cells follow an epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), apoptosis and migration, making a fused palate (1). Complete disintegration of the MES is the final essential phase of palatal confluence with surrounding mesenchymal cells. We provide a method for palate organ culture. The developed in vitro protocol allows the study of the biological and molecular processes during fusion. The applications of this technique are numerous, including evaluating responses to exogenous chemical agents, effects of regulatory and growth factors and specific proteins. Palatal organ culture has a number of advantages including manipulation at different stages of development that is not possible using in vivo studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Craniofacial Research and Diagnosis, Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Isra
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Craniofacial Research and Diagnosis, Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry; ibrahim@bcd.tamhsc.edu.
authors.forename: Maria Juliana
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Craniofacial Research and Diagnosis, Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Kathy K H
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Svoboda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D004626:Embryology / Q000379:methods; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D004848:Epithelium / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D010159:Palate / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D015398:Signal Transduction