Experimental manipulations during limb development in avian embryos

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511546204.009

7 - Experimental manipulations during limb development in avian embryos

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 August 2009

Y. Gañán ,

J. Rodríguez-León and

D. Macías

Edited by

Manuel Marí-Beffa and

Jennifer Knight

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Y. Gañán: Affiliation:
Área Anatomía y Embriología Humanas, Departamento de Ciencias Morfológicas y Biología Celular y Animal, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Extremadura, E-06071 Badajoz, Spain
J. Rodríguez-León: Affiliation:
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande n° 6, Apt. 14, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal
D. Macías: Affiliation:
Área Anatomía y Embriología Humanas, Departamento de Ciencias Morfológicas y Biología Celular y Animal, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Extremadura, E-06071 Badajoz, Spain
Manuel Marí-Beffa: Affiliation:
Universidad de Málaga, Spain
Jennifer Knight: Affiliation:
University of Colorado, Boulder

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Summary

OBJECTIVE OF THE EXPERIMENT The students will observe the three main events of limb development. They will observe first, how proximo-distal limb outgrowth is achieved; second, how chondrogenic differentiation contributes to the establishment of the future skeleton; and third, how limb shape is sculpted by apoptosis. The avian embryo is a good model for the study of these processes, as eggs are easy to obtain and manipulate, and the resulting phenotypes can be observed at different time points. By using the application of microspheres soaked in the different proteins, students will visualise how the proximo-distal axis is controlled during limb bud development. Students will also observe how the chondrogenic template, which will be substituted by osteogenic tissue, develops to form the different elements and joints of the limb. Lastly, students will use a technique for visualizing cell death that enables the assessment of both how cell death takes place during limb development and how this is correlated with the morphology of the limb bud in different species. The exercises are completed by studying the action of different secreted molecules involved in apoptosis and chondrogenesis.

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY Manipulations are difficult. They require patience and practice with microsurgery materials. Staining embryos is easy, requiring only some care during the washing steps.

INTRODUCTION

Morphogenesis during limb outgrowth is an excellent model system for studying the mechanisms of development.

Type: Chapter
Information: Key Experiments in Practical Developmental Biology , pp. 85 - 98

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511546204.009 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2005

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