A gene expression atlas of early craniofacial development

We present a gene expression atlas of early mouse craniofacial development. Laser capture microdissection (LCM) was used to isolate cells from the principal critical micro-regions, whose development, differentiation and signaling interactions are responsible for the construction of the mammalian face We examined the facial mesenchyme and adjacent neuroepithelium at E8.5, at E9.5 we obtain cells from the facial mesenchyme, olfactory placode/epidermal ectoderm, underlying neuroepithileium, and emerging mandibular and maxillary arches. AT E10.5 we sampled the medial and lateral prominences, olfactory pit, multiple regions of the underlying neuroepithelium, the mandibular and maxillary arches, and Rathke's pouch. Mouse embryos were harvested at developmental stage E8.5 , E9.5, and E10.5 and cells were captured from microregions responsible for the construction of the mammalian face. RNA was extracted, labelled, and quantified using the Mouse ST-l microarray.本研究构建了小鼠早期颅面发育的基因表达图谱（gene expression atlas）。本研究采用激光捕获显微切割（Laser capture microdissection, LCM）技术，从调控哺乳动物面部构建的关键核心微区域中分离细胞——这些区域的发育、分化及信号互作共同促成哺乳动物面部的形成。在胚胎发育第8.5天（E8.5），我们对小鼠面部间充质及邻近神经上皮进行了采样；在第9.5天（E9.5），我们从面部间充质、嗅基板（olfactory placode）/表皮外胚层（epidermal ectoderm）、下方神经上皮以及新生的下颌弓（mandibular arches）与上颌弓（maxillary arches）中获取细胞；在第10.5天（E10.5），我们采集了内侧与外侧突起、嗅窝（olfactory pit）、下方神经上皮的多个区域、下颌弓与上颌弓以及拉特克囊（Rathke's pouch）。我们于发育阶段E8.5、E9.5及E10.5获取小鼠胚胎，并从参与哺乳动物面部构建的微区域中捕获细胞。利用小鼠ST-l微阵列（Mouse ST-l microarray）完成RNA的提取、标记与定量检测。