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Published on: February 9, 2017
Somite cell cycle analysis using somite-staging to measure intrinsic developmental time
Sara J Venters1, Michael L Hultner, Charles P Ordahl
1Department of Anatomy, UCSF, HSW 1330, San Francisco, California 94143-0452, USA.
Summary
Chick somite cells double approximately every 7 somite stages, with about 24 new cells born per stage. This study quantizes cell cycle dynamics during early embryonic development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Cell cycle kinetics
- Embryogenesis
Background:
- Understanding cell proliferation is crucial for embryogenesis.
- Somite formation is a key developmental process in vertebrate embryos.
- Quantifying cell cycle parameters provides insights into developmental timing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure cell doubling rate and cell cycle parameters in chick somites.
- To analyze the cell cycle of paraxial mesoderm cells during somitogenesis.
- To correlate cell cycle dynamics with developmental events like FGF signaling.
Main Methods:
- Utilized somite stages as a unit of developmental time.
- Employed Flow-Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) analysis for DNA content.
- Dissociated paraxial mesoderm cells for cell cycle analysis.
Main Results:
- Chick somite cell nuclei doubled in approximately 7+ somite stages (11 hours).
- Around 24 new primary myotome cells are generated per somite stage (16/hr).
- Over half of paraxial mesoderm cells are in G1/G0 phase; S and G2 phases total ~3 somite stages (4.5 hours).
Conclusions:
- Cell cycle parameters were quantified in developing chick somites.
- A surge in S-phase entry precedes somite budding, linked to FGF signaling dynamics.
- This provides a temporal framework for cell proliferation during somitogenesis.
