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Related Concept Videos

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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...
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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...
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Gastrulation establishes the three primary tissues of an embryo: the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. This developmental process relies on a series of intricate cellular movements, which in humans transforms a flat, “bilaminar disc” composed of two cell sheets into a three-tiered structure. In the resulting embryo, the endoderm serves as the bottom layer, and stacked directly above it is the intermediate mesoderm, and then the uppermost ectoderm. Respectively, these tissue strata...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 29, 2025

4-Dimensional Imaging of Zebrafish Optic Cup Morphogenesis
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Optic cup morphogenesis requires neural crest-mediated basement membrane assembly.

Chase D Bryan1, Macaulie A Casey1, Rebecca L Pfeiffer2

  • 1Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.

Development (Cambridge, England)
|January 29, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Neural crest cells are essential for eye development, guiding optic cup morphogenesis and basement membrane formation. Their protein, nidogen, plays a key role in extracellular matrix assembly during eye organogenesis.

Keywords:
Basement membraneExtracellular matrixEyeMorphogenesisNeural crestNidogen

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Organogenesis, the formation of organs, relies on intricate tissue-environment interactions.
  • The developing vertebrate eye is enveloped by extracellular matrix and periocular mesenchyme, crucial for proper development.
  • Defects in eye development can arise from disruptions to the matrix or mesenchyme, with underlying mechanisms often unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of neural crest cells in optic cup morphogenesis and extracellular matrix formation during eye development.
  • To elucidate the specific contribution of neural crest-derived factors to eye organogenesis.

Main Methods:

  • Multidimensional imaging and computational analyses in zebrafish.
  • Ultrastructural analysis of basement membrane formation.
  • Functional assays involving manipulation of nidogen and neural crest cells.

Main Results:

  • Neural crest cells are indispensable for cell movements within the developing optic cup.
  • Basement membrane formation around the developing eye is dependent on neural crest, specifically near the retinal pigment epithelium.
  • Neural crest cells produce nidogen, an extracellular matrix protein; impaired nidogen function disrupts eye development.
  • Nidogen expression in the absence of neural crest partially rescues optic cup morphogenesis.

Conclusions:

  • Eye formation is regulated by extrinsic control of extracellular matrix assembly.
  • Neural crest cells play a critical role in orchestrating eye development through matrix production and organization.
  • Nidogen is a key mediator of neural crest-dependent extracellular matrix assembly in eye organogenesis.