Elucidating timing and function of endothelin-A receptor signaling during craniofacial development using neural crest cell-specific gene deletion and receptor antagonism.

ABSTRACT: Cranial neural crest cells (NCCs) play an intimate role in craniofacial development. Multiple signaling cascades participate in patterning cranial NCCs, some of which are regulated by endothelin-A receptor (Ednra) signaling. Ednra(-/-) embryos die at birth from severe craniofacial defects resulting from disruption of neural crest cell patterning and differentiation. These defects include homeotic transformation of lower jaw structures into upper jaw-like structures, suggesting that some cephalic NCCs alter their "identity" in the absence of Ednra signaling. To elucidate the temporal necessity for Ednra signaling in vivo, we undertook two strategies. We first used a conditional knockout strategy in which mice containing a conditionally targeted Ednra allele (Ednra(fl)) were bred with mice f

SUBMITTER: Ruest LB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2821796 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature