[en] Cranial cartilage derives mainly from cranial neural crest cells and its formation requires fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) signaling for early differentiation and survival of developing chondrocytes as well as patterning of the endodermal pouches. Here, we investigate the role of Fgf receptors in chondrocyte maturation at later stages, beyond 24hpf. Using inducible expression of a dominant-negative Fgf receptor, we show that Fgf signaling is required around 30hpf for correct cartilage formation. The receptor genes fgfr1a and fgr2 are expressed in pharyngeal endodermal pouches after 24hpf or 26hpf, respectively. Depletion of any of these two receptors by microinjection of antisense morpholinos results in severe defects in cartilage formation at 4dpf and a decrease in expression of the late chondrocyte markers barx1 and runx2b. Although endodermal pouches are correctly formed and patterned, receptor knock down leads to decreased expression of runx3, egr1 and sox9b in this tissue, while expression of fsta, coding for a secreted BMP/Tgfss inhibitor, is clearly increased. Rescue experiments revealed that each Fgfr1a or Fgfr2 receptor is able to compensate for the loss of the other. Thus, we show that minimal amounts of Fgfr1a or Fgfr2 are required to initiate a regulatory cascade in pharyngeal endoderm reducing expression of fsta, thereby allowing correct BMP signaling to the maturing chondrocytes of the head cartilage.
Research center :
AFFISH-RC - Applied and Fundamental FISH Research Center - ULiège Giga-Development and Stem Cells - ULiège
Disciplines :
Biochemistry, biophysics & molecular biology
Author, co-author :
Larbuisson, Arnaud ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences de la vie > GIGA-R : Biologie et génétique moléculaire
Dalcq, Julia ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences de la motricité > Unité de recherche sur l'os et le cartillage (U.R.O.C.)
Martial, Joseph ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences de la vie > Département des sciences de la vie
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