morphogenesis Flashcards
describe the early development of the nervous system
starts from ectoderm
notochord induces neural grove formation
area at bottom = floorplate
area closes from middle out => tube (one layer thick) open on both ends
neural crest cells are on top of tube (separate)
what are neuropores?
openings in neural tube at caudal and rostral end
what causes spina bifida?
when the neural tube doesn’t close at the caudal end
entire cord could remain open too
or cord can close and skin doesn’t fill in over it
what elements of the PNS are neural tube in origin?
motor axons - these are cells within the neural tube growing out
preganglionic autonomic neurons - visceral motor - axons come from neural tube
everything else in the PNS is formed by neural crest cells! - includes all sensory cells, ganglia, adrenal medulla, schwann cells
what comes from neural crest cells?
all of PNS except the two exceptions
leptomeninges
bone and cartilage
adrenal medulla
what promotes neural tube development from ectoderm?
bone morphogenic proteins (released by ectodermal cells) is secreted by ectoderm
notocord makes noggin, chrodin and folistatin to inhibit BMPs (bind to it and block it) - allows formation of neuroectoderm
also induces production of sonic hedgehog and noggin in the floorplate
what does sonic hedgehog do?
highly concentrated in notochord
helps signal what is ventral to the developing neural tube
necessary and sufficient
how does the neural tube acquire directionality (ie what indicates directionality to it while it’s developing)?
sonic hedgehog produced by notochord indicates ventral TGF betas (including BMP, dorsalin, vitamin A) indicate dorsal
how does sonic hedgehog become active?
released inactive
undergoes autoproteolysis
amino-terminal fragment = signaling molecule
cholesterol is attached to N-terminus - required for proper diffusion and activity
therefore statins are bad for the developing brain
how does sonic hedgehog work mechanistically? (i don’t think we need to know this)
normally the Shh receptor (patched = PTC) inhibit smoothened (SMO)
when Shh binds to PTC, SMO is released from the inhibition
SMO then activates Gli family of transcription factors (such as zinc finger proteins)
what is the sulcus limitans?
groove between dorsal and ventral sides of spinal cord
describe the development of the brain stem
roof plate stretches
top of tube becomes alar plate - wings out to the side
basal plate moves more medial
so end up with 4 areas - from lateral on one side to lateral on the other: alar plate, basal plate, basal plate, alar plate
what is the difference between basal plates and alar plates?
neurons in alar plates more likely to be sensory
more lateral
neurons in basal plate more likely to be motor - more medial
what are the flexures in the developing brain?
cervical flexure between brain and spinal cord
cephalic flexture between rhombencephalon and mesencephalon
mesencephalon at the level of cephalic flexure
at 6 weeks get pontine flexure too
what is the order of the developing parts of the brain from the top to the spinal cord in the embryo?
at 4 weeks: proencephalon mesencephalon rhombencephalon spinal cord
at 6 weeks: telencephalon diencephalon mesencephalon metencephalon myelencephalon spinal cord
what does the proencephalon develop into?
diencephalon (=> eye) and telencephalon (=> cerebral cortex; bulges out from sides)