A transgenic quail model that enables dynamic imaging of amniote embryogenesis

David Huss; Bertrand Benazeraf; Allison Wallingford; Michael Filla; Jennifer Yang; Scott E Fraser; Rusty Lansford

doi:10.1242/dev.121392

A transgenic quail model that enables dynamic imaging of amniote embryogenesis

Development. 2015 Aug 15;142(16):2850-9. doi: 10.1242/dev.121392. Epub 2015 Jul 24.

Authors

David Huss¹, Bertrand Benazeraf², Allison Wallingford³, Michael Filla⁴, Jennifer Yang⁵, Scott E Fraser⁶, Rusty Lansford⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology and Developmental Neuroscience Program, Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
² Department of Radiology and Developmental Neuroscience Program, Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS (UMR 7104), Illkirch 67400, France.
³ Department of Radiology and Developmental Neuroscience Program, Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA.
⁴ Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
⁵ Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 94720, USA.
⁶ Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 94720, USA.
⁷ Department of Radiology and Developmental Neuroscience Program, Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 94720, USA Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA lansford@usc.edu.

Abstract

Embryogenesis is the coordinated assembly of tissues during morphogenesis through changes in individual cell behaviors and collective cell movements. Dynamic imaging, combined with quantitative analysis, is ideal for investigating fundamental questions in developmental biology involving cellular differentiation, growth control and morphogenesis. However, a reliable amniote model system that is amenable to the rigors of extended, high-resolution imaging and cell tracking has been lacking. To address this shortcoming, we produced a novel transgenic quail that ubiquitously expresses nuclear localized monomer cherry fluorescent protein (chFP). We characterize the expression pattern of chFP and provide concrete examples of how Tg(PGK1:H2B-chFP) quail can be used to dynamically image and analyze key morphogenetic events during embryonic stages X to 11.

Keywords: Confocal microscopy; Live imaging; Quail embryo.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Animals, Genetically Modified*
Cell Proliferation / physiology
Embryonic Development / physiology*
Lentivirus
Luminescent Proteins / metabolism*
Microscopy, Fluorescence / methods*
Models, Animal*
Morphogenesis / physiology*
Plasmids / genetics
Quail
Time-Lapse Imaging / methods*

Substances

Luminescent Proteins

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding