Project description:To begin identifying potential downstream of BMP signaling involved in midline facial development, we conducted a transcriptome analysis comparing the expression profiles of control versus ca-Acvr1(A11);P0-Cre nasal process tissues.
Project description:The patterning of the facial midline involves early specification of neural crest cells to form skeletal tissues that support the upper jaw . In order to understand the molecular mechanisms involved we have taken advantage of a beak duplication model developed in the chicken embryo. Here we can induce the transformation of the side of the beak into a second midline that is easily identifiable by the formation of a supernumerary egg tooth. The phenotype is induced by implanting two microscopic beads, one soaked in retinoic acid and the other soaked in Noggin into the side of the head of the chicken embryo. Here we use microarrays to profile expression of maxillary mesenchyme 16h after placing the beads. A subset of genes were validated using in situ hybridization and QPCR. The aims of the study are to test the function of these genes using retroviral transgenesis, knockdown with morpholinos or expression of secreted proteins and their application to the embryo.
Project description:The patterning of the facial midline involves early specification of neural crest cells to form skeletal tissues that support the upper jaw . In order to understand the molecular mechanisms involved we have taken advantage of a beak duplication model developed in the chicken embryo. Here we can induce the transformation of the side of the beak into a second midline that is easily identifiable by the formation of a supernumerary egg tooth. The phenotype is induced by implanting two microscopic beads, one soaked in retinoic acid and the other soaked in Noggin into the side of the head of the chicken embryo. Here we use microarrays to profile expression of maxillary mesenchyme 16h after placing the beads. A subset of genes were validated using in situ hybridization and QPCR. The aims of the study are to test the function of these genes using retroviral transgenesis, knockdown with morpholinos or expression of secreted proteins and their application to the embryo. Embryos were incubated at 38 degrees C until they reached Hamburger Hamilton Stage 15 or 25 somites. Four different treatments were carried out consisting of two beads simultaneously implanted into the side of the head between the eye and mandibular arch. The beads were either Noggin+retinoic acid, Tris+retinoic acid, Noggin+DMSO or the control, Tris+DMSO. Embryos were reincubated for another 16h until they reached stage 18. Embryos were dissected on ice in Hanks Buffered Salt Solution and batches of 12-15 maxillary pieces were snap frozen in liquid Nitrogen. These pooled facial prominences comprised one biological replicate. A total of three biological replicates were generated for each treatment.
Project description:Systematic discovery of spleen miRNAs involved in host response to avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) by deep sequencing and integrated analysis
Project description:Transcriptional analysis of Drosophila CNS midline cells provides a useful system for studying transcriptional regulation at the genomic level due to a well-characterized set of midline-expressed genes and in vivo-validated enhancers. To investigate how access to regulatory information is controlled during midline cell development, we performed FAIRE-seq on FACS-purified midline cells. We find that regions of the genome with a strong midline FAIRE peak and weak whole-embryo FAIRE peak (“midline-enriched”) often correspond to midline enhancers near a midline-expressed gene and provides a useful predictive tool. Analysis of a large collection of midline enhancers revealed that those with a midline-enriched peak were located near midline-expressed genes, as were about half of the midline enhancers that overlapped a midline FAIRE peak that was not statistically "midline-enriched". There is a substantial fraction of midline enhancers that do not have a midline FAIRE peak and these tend to reside in chromatin regions that are not transcriptionally active and thus, unlikely to drive midline activity in vivo. This study emphasizes the utility of combining chromatin analysis of purified cell populations with gene expression and enhancer datasets to determine an experimentally useful chromatin profile that identifies biologically relevant enhancers and genes.