Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 23, 2026
09:03
Analysis of Neural Crest Migration and Differentiation by Cross-species Transplantation
Published on: February 7, 2012
22.2K
Mesodermal expression of integrin α5β1 regulates neural crest development and cardiovascular morphogenesis
Dong Liang1, Xia Wang1, Ashok Mittal1
1Thomas Jefferson University, Department of Medicine, Center for Translational Medicine, 1020 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
Developmental Biology
|September 23, 2014
Summary
Integrin α5β1 in mesoderm is crucial for neural crest development and cardiovascular morphogenesis. Ablating it causes severe embryonic defects, including heart and aortic arch abnormalities.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Integrins are essential cell surface receptors mediating cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions.
- Integrin α5β1 plays a role in various developmental processes, but its specific function in early cardiovascular development is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of integrin α5β1 in cardiovascular development using a conditional knockout mouse model.
- To determine the impact of ablating integrin α5 in the anterior mesoderm on neural crest and cardiovascular morphogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Mesp1(Cre) knock-in mice to conditionally ablate integrin α5 in the anterior mesoderm.
- Analyzed embryonic phenotypes, focusing on cardiovascular and neural crest development.
Main Results:
- Mesp1-driven ablation of integrin α5 resulted in mid-gestation embryonic lethality due to severe cardiovascular defects.
- Mutant embryos exhibited neural crest abnormalities, including cleft palate, ventricular septal defects, and defective aortic arch artery remodeling.
- Defects in aortic arch artery remodeling were linked to impaired neural crest cell proliferation and differentiation into vascular smooth muscle cells.
Conclusions:
- Mesodermal integrin α5β1 is essential for proper neural crest development and subsequent cardiovascular morphogenesis.
- Integrin α5β1 mediates critical signaling between mesoderm and neural crest, regulating neural crest-dependent embryonic structure formation.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:51Determination
16.3K
During embryogenesis, cells become progressively committed to different fates through a two-step process: specification followed by determination. Specification is demonstrated by removing a segment of an early embryo, “neutrally” culturing the tissue in vitro—for example, in a petri dish with simple medium—and then observing the derivatives. If the cultured region gives rise to cell types that it would normally generate in the embryo, this means that it is specified. In...
16.3K
01:30Neurulation
40.1K
Neurulation is the embryological process which forms the precursors of the central nervous system and occurs after gastrulation has established the three primary cell layers of the embryo: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. In humans, the majority of this system is formed via primary neurulation, in which the central portion of the ectoderm—originally appearing as a flat sheet of cells—folds upwards and inwards, sealing off to form a hollow neural tube. As development proceeds, the...
40.1K
01:15Activation of Integrins
4.3K
Integrins bind ligands and transmit information from outside the cell to inside or vice-versa through an "outside-in signaling" or "inside-out signaling."
In "outside-in signaling," external factors in the extracellular space bind to exposed ligand binding sites on integrins. This causes the inactive protein to undergo a conformational change to become active. Integrins are often clustered on the cell membrane. Repetitive and regularly spaced ligand binding...
In "outside-in signaling," external factors in the extracellular space bind to exposed ligand binding sites on integrins. This causes the inactive protein to undergo a conformational change to become active. Integrins are often clustered on the cell membrane. Repetitive and regularly spaced ligand binding...
4.3K
01:10Integrins
4.8K
Animal and protozoan cells do not have cell walls to help maintain shape and provide structural stability. Instead, these eukaryotic cells secrete a sticky mass of carbohydrates and proteins into the spaces between adjacent cells. This network of proteins and molecules is called an extracellular matrix or ECM.
Some ECM proteins assemble into a basement membrane to which the remaining components adhere. Proteoglycans typically form the bulk of the ECM while fibrous proteins, like collagen,...
Some ECM proteins assemble into a basement membrane to which the remaining components adhere. Proteoglycans typically form the bulk of the ECM while fibrous proteins, like collagen,...
4.8K
01:19Cadherins in Tissue Organization
3.4K
The cadherins are a superfamily of cell adhesion molecules comprising over 180 variants, with specific tissues expressing a particular combination of cadherin types. Cadherins generally exhibit homophilic binding; i.e., cadherins on one cell bind to cadherins of the same or closely related type on another cell. Thus, cells of the same type have a specific affinity to bind to each other and sort themselves into clusters to form tissues.
Cell Sorting During Development
Cell sorting plays an...
Cell Sorting During Development
Cell sorting plays an...
3.4K
01:17Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
2.7K
Integrins act both as extracellular input receivers and as intracellular processing activators. As their name suggests, integrins are entirely integrated into the membrane structure. Their hydrophobic membrane-spanning regions interact with the phospholipid bilayer's hydrophobic region. These membrane receptors provide extracellular attachment sites for effectors like hormones and growth factors. They activate intracellular response cascades when their effectors are bound and active.
Some...
Some...
2.7K