Genetics Underlying the Interactions between Neural Crest Cells and Eye Development

The neural crest is a unique, transient stem cell population that is critical for craniofacial and ocular development. Understanding the genetics underlying the steps of neural crest development is essential for gaining insight into the pathogenesis of congenital eye diseases. The neural crest cells play an under-appreciated key role in patterning the neural epithelial-derived optic cup. These interactions between neural crest cells within the periocular mesenchyme and the optic cup, while not well-studied, are critical for optic cup morphogenesis and ocular fissure closure. As a result, microphthalmia and coloboma are common phenotypes in human disease and animal models in which neural crest cell specification and early migration are disrupted. In addition, neural crest cells directly contribute to numerous ocular structures including the cornea, iris, sclera, ciliary body, trabecular meshwork, and aqueous outflow tracts. Defects in later neural crest cell migration and differentiation cause a constellation of well-recognized ocular anterior segment anomalies such as Axenfeld–Rieger Syndrome and Peters Anomaly. This review will focus on the genetics of the neural crest cells within the context of how these complex processes specifically affect overall ocular development and can lead to congenital eye diseases.

Functional bone histology of zebrafish reveals two types of endochondral ossification, different types of osteoblast clusters and a new bone type

The zebrafish is as an important vertebrate animal model system for studying developmental processes, gene functions and signalling pathways. It is also used as a model system for the understanding of human developmental diseases including those related to the skeleton. However, surprisingly little is known about normal zebrafish skeletogenesis and osteogenesis. As in most vertebrates, it is commonly known that the bones of adult zebrafish are cellular unlike that of some other teleosts. After careful histological analyses of each zebrafish adult bone, we identified several acellular bones, with no entrapped osteocytes in addition to several cellular bones. We show that both cellular and acellular bones can even occur within the same skeletal element and transitions between these two cell types can be found. Furthermore, we describe two types of osteoblast clusters during skeletogenesis and two different types of endochondral ossification. The epiphyseal plate, for example, lacks a zone of calcification and a degradation zone with osteoblasts. A new bone type that we term tubular bone was also identified. This bone is completely filled with adipose tissue, unlike spongy bones. This study provides important insight on how osteogenesis takes place in zebrafish, and especially on the transition from cellular to acellular bones. Overall, this study leads to a deeper understanding of the functional histological composition of adult zebrafish bones.

Formation of the inner ear during embryonic and larval development of the cichlid fish (Oreochromis mossambicus)

BACKGROUND

The vertebrate inner ear comprises mineralized elements, namely the otoliths (fishes) or the otoconia (mammals). These elements serve vestibular and auditory functions. The formation of otoconia and otoliths is described as a stepwise process, and in fish, it is generally divided into an aggregation of the otolith primordia from precursor particles and then a growth process that continues throughout life.

RESULTS

This study was undertaken to investigate the complex transition between these two steps. Therefore, we investigated the developmental profiles of several inner ear structural and calcium-binding proteins during the complete embryonic and larval development of the cichlid fish Oreochromis mossambicus in parallel with the morphology of inner ear and especially otoliths. We show that the formation of otoliths is a highly regulated temporal and spatial process which takes place throughout embryonic and larval development.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on our data we defined eight phases of otolith differentiation from the primordia to the mature otolith.

Spatial Expression of Otolith Matrix Protein-1 and Otolin-1 in Normally and Kinetotically Swimming Fish

Kinetosis (motion sickness) has been repeatedly shown to affect some fish of a given clutch following the transition from 1g to microgravity or from hypergravity to 1g. This susceptibility to kinetosis may be correlated with irregular inner ear otolith growth. Otoliths are mainly composed of calcium carbonate and matrix proteins, which play an important role in the process of otolith mineralization. Here, we examine the morphology of otoliths and the expression pattern of the major otolith proteins OMP-1 and otolin-1 in a series of hypergravity experiments. In the utricle, OMP-1 is present in centripetal (medial) and centrifugal (lateral) regions of the meshwork area. In the saccule, OMP-1 was expressed within a dorsal and a ventral narrow band of the meshwork area opposite to the periphery of the sulcus acusticus. In normal animals, the spatial expression pattern of OMP-1 reaches more posteriorly in the centrifugal aspect and is considerably broader in the centripetal portion of the utricle compared to kinetotic animals. However, otolin-1 was not expressed in the utricule. In the saccule, no differences were observed for either gene when comparing normal and kinetotically behaving fish. The difference in the utricular OMP-1 expression pattern between normally and kinetotically swimming fish indicates a different otolith morphology and thus a different geometry of the otoliths resting on the corresponding sensory maculae. As the utricle is the endorgan responsible for sensing gravity, the aberrant morphology of the utricular otoliths, based on OMP-1 expression, likely leads to the observed kinetotic behavior.

Magnetic resonance arteriography of the pelvis and lower extremities

Reconstructive vascular surgery is the last resort for limb salvage in patients with vascular insufficiency. Planning the sites of arterial bypass grafts depends on an exact knowledge of the angiographic anatomy. Currently, conventional contrast angiography is the primary preoperative study for surgical planning. Recently, magnetic resonance (MR) arteriography has been shown to be an accurate technique for the evaluation of slow arterial flow in the lower extremities. The purpose of this review will be to show how MR arteriography can be used as both an adjunct to and in some cases instead of conventional angiography for the preoperative assessment of lower-extremity vascular reconstruction. The derivation of common artifacts, the many pitfalls of interpretation, and the evaluation of peripheral arterial occlusion and percentage stenosis will be discussed. MR arteriography of the lower extremities is an important advance for the noninvasive evaluation of disease of the peripheral vasculature.