Early hematopoietic and vascular development in the chick

Area of Science:

• Developmental Biology
• Hematology
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• The chick embryo was foundational for hematopoietic stem cell, hemangioblast, and hemogenic endothelium research.
• Genetically tractable models have largely superseded the chick embryo in recent decades.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current understanding of early blood and vascular development in the chick embryo.
• To highlight the chick embryo's renewed potential in hematopoietic and vascular research due to omics advancements.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on chick embryo hematopoiesis and vascular development.
• Focus on primitive hematopoiesis and vascular network formation in extraembryonic and lateral plate mesoderm.
• Analysis of ontological and molecular associations between blood and endothelial cells.

Main Results:

• The chick embryo provides insights into the origins of hematopoietic stem cells and hemangioblasts.
• Emphasis on the evolutionary links between hemangioblasts, endothelial cells, and coelomic epithelium.
• Discussion of connections between early blood/vascular development and definitive hematopoiesis.

Conclusions:

• The chick embryo remains a valuable model for studying early blood and vascular development.
• Genomic and transcriptomic advances are revitalizing the chick embryo for comparative and omics studies.
• The model offers unique insights into the evolutionary relationships of blood and vascular precursors.