Creating Avian Forebrain Chimeras to assess Facial Development

J Vis Exp. 2021 Feb 18:(168):10.3791/62183. doi: 10.3791/62183.

Abstract

The avian embryo has been used as a model system for more than a century and has led to fundamental understanding of vertebrate development. One of the strengths of this model system is that the effect of, and interaction among, tissues can be directly assessed in chimeric embryos. We have previously shown that signals from the forebrain contribute to facial morphogenesis by regulating the shape of the expression domain of Sonic hedgehog (SHH) in the Frontonasal Ectodermal Zone (FEZ). In this article, the method of generating the forebrain chimeras and provide illustrations of the outcomes of these experiments is described.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Birds / anatomy & histology*
  • Chickens / anatomy & histology
  • Chimera / anatomy & histology*
  • Coturnix / anatomy & histology
  • Ducks / anatomy & histology
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian / anatomy & histology
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian / transplantation
  • Face