Intravitreal injection of FGF and TGF-β inhibitors disrupts cranial cartilage development.

Cartilage development is a tightly regulated process that requires the interaction of epithelial and mesenchymal tissues layers to initiate the aggregation of mesenchyme in a condensation. Several signaling molecules have been implicated in cartilage formation including FGFs, WNTs, and members of the TGF-β super family. However, little is known about the earliest signals involved in these initial phases of development.

Quantification and comparison of teleost scleral cartilage development and growth.

The ocular skeleton is composed of the scleral cartilage and the scleral ossicles. Teleost scleral cartilage is composed of a single layer of chondrocytes embedded in the sclera of the eye. The teleost scleral cartilage ring can vary in depth across teleost families and species, from a narrow ring a few cells wide to a deeper ring that resembles a cup and surrounds the entire sclera.

Elucidating the early signaling cues involved in zebrafish chondrogenesis and cartilage morphology.

Across the teleost skeleton, cartilages are diverse in their composition suggesting subtle differences in their developmental mechanisms. This study aims to elucidate the regulatory role of bone morphogenetic protein (BMPs) during the morphogenesis of two cartilage elements in zebrafish: the scleral cartilage in the eye and the caudal fin endoskeleton. Zebrafish larvae were exposed to a BMP inhibitor (LDN193189) at a series of timepoints preceding the initial appearance of the scleral cartilage and caudal fin endoskeleton.

Accurate whole-mount bone and cartilage staining requires acid-free conditions.

Bone and cartilage staining has provided anatomists with the ability to generate detailed descriptions of the adult and developing skeleton. Typically, Alizarin red S and Alcian blue are used for the staining of bone and cartilage, respectively. The binding of Alizarin red S and calcium is most stable at basic conditions, however, Alcian blue exhibits specific binding to polyanionic substances such as mucopolysaccharides under acidic conditions.

An improved rapid mixing device for time-resolved electrospray mass spectrometry measurements.

Time series data can provide valuable insight into the complexity of biological reactions. Such information can be obtained by mass-spectrometry-based approaches that measure pre-steady-state kinetics. These methods are based on a mixing device that rapidly mixes the reactants prior to the on-line mass measurement of the transient intermediate steps.