Profiling development of abdominal organs in the pig

Area of Science:

• Comparative anatomy and developmental biology.
• Genetics and disease modeling.

Background:

• Pigs are valuable models for human development and disease due to physiological and genomic similarities.
• CRISPR gene editing enables the creation of pig models for human pathologies.
• A detailed atlas of pig development is crucial for identifying and modeling congenital anomalies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the normal development of the pig abdominal system.
• To provide a resource for identifying developmental pathologies in pigs.
• To illustrate congenital defects in CRISPR-edited SAP130 mutant pigs.

Main Methods:

• Examination of pigs at various gestational ages (D20 to term).
• 3D histological reconstructions using episcopic confocal microscopy.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and necropsy.

Main Results:

• Detailed timeline of abdominal organ development, including mesonephros, metanephros, liver, pancreas, spleen, adrenal glands, bowel, and gonads.
• Identification of transient embryonic organs (mesonephros) and permanent structures (metanephros).
• Observation of normal organogenesis, bowel rotation, and gonad descent.

Conclusions:

• The developed atlas and methods are valuable tools for studying pig abdominal organ development.
• This resource aids in the identification of developmental pathologies in normal and genetically engineered pigs.
• Enhances the utility of pigs as models for human developmental diseases.