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Updated: Jan 22, 2026

Probing the Roles of Physical Forces in Early Chick Embryonic Morphogenesis
Published on: June 5, 2018
A 3D molecular atlas of the chick embryonic heart
Claire Anderson1, Bill Hill2, Hui-Chun Lu1
1Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
Abstract:
We present a detailed analysis of gene expression in the 2-day (HH12) embryonic chick heart. RNA-seq of 13 micro-dissected regions reveals regionalised expression of 15,570 genes. Of these, 132 were studied by in situ hybridisation and a subset (38 genes) was mapped by Optical Projection Tomography or serial sectioning to build a detailed 3-dimensional atlas of expression. We display this with a novel interactive 3-D viewer and as stacks of sections, revealing the boundaries of expression domains and regions of overlap. Analysis of the expression domains also defines some sub-regions distinct from those normally recognised by anatomical criteria at this stage of development, such as a previously undescribed subdivision of the atria into two orthogonal sets of domains (dorsoventral and left-right). We also include a detailed comparison of expression in the chick with the mouse and other species.
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