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Facial development in the mouse; a comparison between normal and mutant (amputated) mouse embryos
Journal of Embryology and Experimental Morphology
|December 1, 1978
Summary
Mutant mouse embryos exhibit abnormal facial development due to increased cell clumping in mesenchyme, hindering normal tissue expansion. This cellular behavior, not cell quantity or proliferation, causes developmental delays in facial outgrowth.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Mouse embryology
- Cellular morphology
Background:
- Investigates cell interactions in mouse embryo development.
- Focuses on normal and 'amputated' mutant embryos.
Purpose of the Study:
- To understand the cellular basis of facial malformations in 'amputated' mouse mutants.
- To identify the specific developmental stage and cellular mechanisms underlying facial outgrowth defects.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of normal and mutant mouse embryos.
- Microscopic examination of mesenchyme cell interactions and tissue morphology.
- Assessment of cell proliferation and quantity in the naso-frontal region.
Main Results:
- Mutant mesenchyme cells exhibit increased clumping and cell-cell contact compared to normal.
- Facial outgrowth, particularly in the naso-frontal region, is retarded in mutants.
- Cell quantity and proliferation rates are not responsible for the observed facial abnormalities.
Conclusions:
- Cellular clumping and increased contact in mutant mesenchyme impede normal mesenchymal expansion.
- This expansion, driven by intercellular matrix secretion, is crucial for early facial development and was previously unrecognized.