A role for versican during chick limb skeletogenesis / by John Bruce Shepard.
| Author/creator | Shepard, John Bruce author. |
| Other author | Capehart, Anthony A., degree supervisor. |
| Other author | East Carolina University. Department of Biology. |
| Format | Theses and dissertations |
| Production | 2007. |
| Description | 61 leaves : illustrations (some color), forms ; 28 cm |
| Supplemental Content | Access via ScholarShip |
| Subjects |
| Summary | Mesenchymal cell condensation is an essential first step for cartilage development, and the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a critical role in governing cell behavior and cell phenotype in this tissue. The hyalectin versican is highly expressed in the ECM of precartilage mesenchymal cells and in the presumptive joint, yet the temporal and spatial expression of versican has not been carefully examined though the subsequent time course of synovial joint morphogenesis. Furthermore, although versican expression has been shown to be important for precartilage mesenchymal condensation in vitro, these data had not yet been confirmed. By immunolocalizing versican and aggrecan (a marker of mature cartilage) in paraffin-embedded limb sections of wild-type embryos, we were able to correlate temporal and spatial expression of versican relative to cartilage differentiation and joint morphogenesis. Morpholino mediated misexpression of versican proteoglycan in ovo impaired both chondrogenesis and synovial joint morphogenesis in the embryonic chick limb. Morphant phenotypes exhibited skeletal elements dramatically shorter than their contralateral controls, perhaps due to inhibition of mesenchymal condensation. Additionally, versican knock-down in the presumptive elbow joint in ovo reduced morphogenesis of the olecranon process, likely impairing joint development. This study represents a novel approach to assess the role of versican in the developing chick limb and provides direct insight to the function of versican during vertebrate limb development. |
| General note | Presented to the faculty of the Department of Biology. |
| General note | Advisor: Anthony A. Capehart |
| Dissertation note | M.S. East Carolina University 2007 |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-57). |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Thèses et écrits académiques. |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joyner | University Archives | ASK AT SPECIAL COLLECTIONS DESK | ✔ Available | Request Material |
| Electronic Resources | Access Content Online | ✔ Available |