Insights into vertebrate head development: from cranial neural crest to the modelling of neurocristopathies

• Published in: The International journal of developmental biology Vol. 65; no. 4-5-6; pp. 215 - 225
• Main Authors: Weiner, Andrea M J, Coux, Gabriela, Armas, Pablo, Calcaterra, Nora
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Spain University of the Basque Country Press 2021
• Subjects: Animal models; Animals; Cell Differentiation; Conformation; Danio rerio; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Head; Modelling; Morphogenesis; Neural crest; Neural Crest - embryology; Nucleic acids; Redox properties; Signal transduction; Skull - embryology; Vertebrates; Zebrafish; Zebrafish - embryology; Zebrafish - genetics
• ISSN: 0214-6282; 1696-3547
• DOI: 10.1387/ijdb.200229nc

Although the vertebrate head has evolved to a wide collection of adaptive shapes, the fundamental signalling pathways and cellular events that outline the head skeleton have proven to be highly conserved. This conservation suggests that major morphological differences are due to changes in differentiation and morphogenetic programs downstream of a well-maintained developmental prepattern. Here we provide a brief examination of the mechanisms and pathways responsible for vertebrate head development, as well as an overview of the animal models suitable for studying face development. In addition, we describe the criteria for neurocristopathy classification, highlighting the contribution of zebrafish to the modelling of Treacher Collins/Franceschetti Syndrome, an emblematic neurocristopathy. The contributions from our laboratory reveal that proper zebrafish head development depends on the fine-tuning of developmental-gene expression mediated by nucleic acid binding proteins able to regulate DNA conformation and / or the neuroepithelium redox state.