Mesoderm segmentation Flashcards
Where does gastrulation in the chick embryo occur?
At the primitive streak
What forms at the primitive streak during gastrulation?
How?
What else do these cells give rise to?
Mesoderm
- Inward migration of the epiblast
- Cells undergo ETM transition at the primitive streak
- Cells emerge underneath the epithelial layer and contribute to the mesoderm
Give rise to a SMALL part of the endoderm
Do all the cells emerging at the primitive streak contribute to the same cells of tissues in the mesoderm?
No
What do lineage fate mapping studies in the chick show?
What does this show?
Point of entry within the primitive streak DICTATES the sorts of tissues that the cells contribute to
Shows that along the AP axis of the early epiblast - already designated regions that are fated to contribute to different areas of mesoderm
What do the cells at the VERY ANTERIOR of the PS become?
Early in the PS?
Slightly more posterior?
Even more posterior?
Axial mesoderm
Paraxial mesoderm
Intermediate mesoderm
Lateral plate mesoderm
What does the axial mesoderm give rise to?
Prechordal mesoderm
Notocord
What does the paraxial mesoderm give rise to?
Head
Somites
What does the intermediate mesoderm give rise to?
Urogenital system:
- Kidneys
- Gonads
What does the lateral plate mesoderm give rise to?
Circulatory system
Pelvis
Limb bones
What do somites give rise to?
Cartilage Tendons Skeletal muscle Dermis Endothelial cells
What is the dermatome?
The dermis and the skeletal muscle
What is the sclerotome?
The cartilage
What is the syndotome?
The tendons
What is the mytome?
The skeletal muscles
What are somites?
SEGMENTED paraxial mesoderm tissues
The earliest evidence of segmentation in vertebrates
Describe the most posterior paraxial mesoderm
NOT segmented - uniform band of tissue made of MESENCHYMAL cells
What happens are certain points in time at the very posterior paraxial mesoderm?
- Formation of WELL-DEFINED balls of EPITHELIAL cells
- That are REGULAR and EQUAL size on either side of the spinal cord
- Clear clefts in between each ball
Is mesoderm segmentation highly conserved?
Yes
What are the advantages of segmented organisation in some structures?
Example of this?
- Can introduce slight changes in otherwise well conserved units
- To confer NEW PROPERTIES to the body
Example:
- Some fish species - number of somites vary
- Confer new properties throughout evolution
- Allowing fish to change their swimming pattern and adapt to environment
What does the somite number dictate?
The number of vertebrae
How do somite numbers differ between organisms?
Number of somites between different species differ
But are SPECIES SPECIFIC
How do somites form?
In pairs from the paraxial mesoderm, through PROGRESSIVE SEGMENTATION:
- Cells are produced in the posterior of the embryo
- Cells remain in the paraxial mesoderm for a CERTAIN PERIOD of time - eventually become segmented to form somites
What 2 things occur until there are no more somites to be formed?
1) Paraxial mesoderm forms in continuous manner in the posterior of the embryo
2) Primitive streak is present
During somite formation what remains constant?
The TIMING of somite formation in a given species
Amount of somites in each species
What prefigures the future segmentation of somites?
Presomatic mesoderm (band of non-segmented, posteriror paraxial mesoderm)
How are new paraxial mesoderm (presomatic mesoderm) cells produced in the posterior?
Movement of cells through the primitive streak (through ETM transition) and emerging as new paraxial mesoderm cells
How does the length of the paraxial mesoderm remain the same?
2 processes are coordinated:
1) Body axis extend posteriorly
2) Anterior cells decide to become somites
How long is the presomatic mesoderm in the chick?
Contains about 12 somite pairs
What 5 must the cells in the presomatic mesoderm respond to?
1) Positional information
2) Mechanism that coordinates left and right somites
3) Mechanism that generates ANTERIOR boundary
4) Mechanism that generates POSTERIOR boundary
5) Formation of the cleft
Why must the cells in the presomatic mesoderm know their position?
Dictates if they are preparing to become somites or not