Project description:The inner ear develops from a patch of thickened cranial ectoderm adjacent to the hindbrain called the otic placode. Studies in a number of vertebrate species suggest that the initial steps in induction of the otic placode are regulated by members of the Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) family, and that inhibition of FGF signaling can prevent otic placode formation. To better understand the genetic pathways activated by FGF signaling during otic placode induction, we performed microarray experiments to estimate the proportion of chicken otic placode genes that can be up-regulated by the FGF pathway in a simple culture model of otic placode induction. Surprisingly, we find that FGF is only sufficient to induce about 15% of chick otic placode-specific genes in our experimental system. However, pharmacological blockade of the FGF pathway in cultured chick embryos showed that although FGF signaling was not sufficient to induce the majority of otic placode-specific genes, it was still necessary for their expression in vivo. These inhibitor experiments further suggest that the early steps in otic placode induction regulated by FGF signaling occur through the MAP kinase pathway. Although our work suggests that FGF signaling is necessary for otic placode induction, it demonstrates that other unidentified signaling pathways are required to co-operate with FGF signaling to induce the full otic placode program. 8 samples were analyzed. These contain two replicates of each of the following four catergories: Otic ectoderm, Non-Otic (lateral) ectoderm, Trigeminal Ectoderm cultured - FGF, Trigeminal Ectoderm cultured + FGF
Project description:The inner ear develops from a patch of thickened cranial ectoderm adjacent to the hindbrain called the otic placode. Studies in a number of vertebrate species suggest that the initial steps in induction of the otic placode are regulated by members of the Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) family, and that inhibition of FGF signaling can prevent otic placode formation. To better understand the genetic pathways activated by FGF signaling during otic placode induction, we performed microarray experiments to estimate the proportion of chicken otic placode genes that can be up-regulated by the FGF pathway in a simple culture model of otic placode induction. Surprisingly, we find that FGF is only sufficient to induce about 15% of chick otic placode-specific genes in our experimental system. However, pharmacological blockade of the FGF pathway in cultured chick embryos showed that although FGF signaling was not sufficient to induce the majority of otic placode-specific genes, it was still necessary for their expression in vivo. These inhibitor experiments further suggest that the early steps in otic placode induction regulated by FGF signaling occur through the MAP kinase pathway. Although our work suggests that FGF signaling is necessary for otic placode induction, it demonstrates that other unidentified signaling pathways are required to co-operate with FGF signaling to induce the full otic placode program.
Project description:The first morphological evidence of the developing ear is a thickened disk of ectoderm known as the otic placode. However, signals for otogenesis are present even before the otic placode is physically apparent. Several inductive signals have been identified through candidate gene approaches, but there are still many gaps in the signaling cascade of otogenesis. Presently the candidate gene approach has largely exhausted known candidates. This project compares the pre-otic domain with a control region that is competent, but not specified to form otic placode. The purpose of this work is to identify genes that are differentially expressed in the pre-otic domain in order to generate a list of novel candidate genes for otic placode induction.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of mouse 4-8 somite microdissected otic placodes from Fgf3/Fgf10 double heterozygotes (controls) compared to Fgf3/Fgf10 double null mutants. The purpose was to determine the effectors that are induced (or repressed) by Fgf3 and Fgf10 in the course of otic placode induction.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of mouse 4-8 somite microdissected otic placodes from Fgf3/Fgf10 double heterozygotes (controls) compared to Fgf3/Fgf10 double null mutants. The purpose was to determine the effectors that are induced (or repressed) by Fgf3 and Fgf10 in the course of otic placode induction. Two condition experiment, double heterozygote vs. double null placodes. Biological replicas: 3 Fgf3+/-;Fgf10+/- and 3 Fgf3-/-;Fgf10-/- pools of ten placodes each.
Project description:The otic placode, from which the inner ear develops, initially forms as a thickened ectodermal patch adjacent to the dorsolateral hindbrain. Induction of otic placodal cells from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) provides a robust approach to investigation of otic development. However, attempts to recapitulate otic lineage specification from hPSCs by stepwise differentiation methods have had limited success. One possible reason is that the role of signaling pathways in otic cell differentiation is not fully understood. Here, we developed a novel differentiation system involving use of suspension culture (3D floating culture) in combination with signaling factors for generating otic placodal cells via stepwise differentiation of hPSCs. We demonstrate that hPSC-derived pre-placodal cells acquired the potential to differentiate into posterior placodal cells after fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and retinoic acid (RA) treatment. Subsequent activation of WNT signaling following posterior placode specification induced differentiation of SIX1+/PAX8+/SOX2+ otic placodal cells. qPCR analysis showed that WNT activation increased expression of otocyst markers, including PAX8, PAX2, DLX5 and FBXO2. Moreover, induced otic cells exhibited similar gene expression patterns to the ventral and medial portions of the otocyst that give rise to the sensory epithelium of the inner ear. Collectively, our results indicate a critical role for FGF2, RA, and WNT signaling for the in vitro differentiation of the otic cell lineage from hPSCs. Our new culture system paves the way for improved modeling of early human inner ear development and will be of value to studies on the further differentiation of sensory epithelial cells.
Project description:Few families of signaling factors have been implicated in the control of development. Here we identify the neuropeptides nociceptin and somatostatin, a neurotransmitter and neuroendocrine hormone, as a class of developmental signals in chick and zebrafish. We show that signals from the anterior mesendoderm are required for the formation of anterior placode progenitors with one of the signals being somatostatin. Somatostatin controls ectodermal expression of nociceptin and both peptides regulate Pax6 in lens and olfactory progenitors. Consequently, loss of somatostatin and nociceptin signaling leads to severe reduction of lens formation. Our findings not only uncover these neuropeptides as developmental signals, but also identify a long-sought-after mechanism that initiates Pax6 in placode progenitors and may explain the ancient evolutionary origin of neuropeptides, pre-dating a complex nervous system. We used progenitors for anterior and posterior sensory placodes dissected from chick embryos HH5-7; these were either processed immediately or cultured for 5 hrs to hybridise to Affymetrix chick array. We aimed to identify genes that are co regualted with Pax6, a key regulator of lens and olfactory progenitor cells. Pax6 is normally present in anterior, but not posterior placode precursors, but upregulated in both after 5 hrs culture.