Mechanism Uncovered That Contribues To The Appropriate Formation Of The Spine

Main Category: Bones / Orthopedics
Article Date: 19 Jun 2008 - 5:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

The Stowers Institute's Pourquie Lab has shed light on the mechanism causing animals to develop the appropriate number of vertebrae.

Vertebrae are formed from their embryonic precursors, called somites. The number of somites is consistent within a species, but varies significantly across species. By comparing the developing embryos of zebrafish, chicken, mice, and corn snakes, the team established an understanding of how an organism regulates the number of somites formed.

The findings were published in Nature's advance online publication.

"We set out to understand why snakes form hundreds of vertebrae, while mice form about 50, and humans form just 33," said Céline Gomez, Ph.D., formerly a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Stowers Institute and lead author on the paper. "We found that the control of both body elongation and vertebrae precursor size accounts for the different numbers of vertebrae in each of these species - the smaller the vertebrae precursors are along the body length, the more vertebrae are formed."

The presomitic mesoderm is the middle layer of the three cell layers that form an early embryo. It increases in size as the somites form and then gradually shrinks until it is exhausted, terminating the process when the appropriate number of somites have been formed.

"In examining these diverse species, we discovered that the same process ended somite formation in each," said Olivier Pourquié, Ph.D., Investigator and senior author on the publication. "What influenced the number of somites in each species was the rate of somite formation. In snake embryos, somites form much more quickly than in the other species. As a result, there are more somites, but they are smaller."

Understanding the mechanism of vertebral column development in animals offers insight into how the spine forms in humans. A better understanding of the process may aid in the prevention or treatment of disorders like congenital scoliosis.

###

Additional contributing authors from the Stowers Institute include Ertuðul Ozbudak, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Associate; Joshua Wunderlich, Cytometry Research Technician III; and Diana Baumann, Managing Director, Reptile and Aquatics Facility. Julian Lewis of the Vertebrate Development Laboratory, Cancer Research U.K. also contributed.

Dr. Pourquié also is an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and a Professor in the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology at the University of Kansas School of Medicine.

About the Stowers Institute

Housed in a 600,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility on a 10-acre campus in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri, the Stowers Institute for Medical Research conducts basic research on fundamental processes of cellular life. Through its commitment to collaborative research and the use of cutting-edge technology, the Institute seeks more effective means of preventing, treating, and curing disease. The Institute was founded by Jim and Virginia Stowers, two cancer survivors who have created combined endowments of $2 billion in support of basic research of the highest quality.

Source: Marie Jennings
Stowers Institute for Medical Research

• Additional
• References
• Citations