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First published online 17 July 2008
doi: 10.1242/dev.018341
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1 Equipe Ontogenèse et Cellules Souches du Tégument, Centre de
Recherche INSERM UJF - U823, Institut Albert Bonniot, Site Santé, La
Tronche, BP170, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
2 Laboratoire de Techniques de l'Imagerie, de la Modélisation et de la
Cognition UMR CNRS 5525, Institut d'Informatique et de Mathématiques
Appliquées de Grenoble, Faculté de Médecine, 38706 La
Tronche, Cedex, France.
Author for correspondence (e-mail:
Danielle.Dhouailly{at}ujf-grenoble.fr)
Accepted 19 June 2008
Feathers, like hairs, first appear as primordia consisting of an epidermal
placode associated with a dermal condensation that is necessary for the
continuation of their differentiation. Previously, the BMPs have been proposed
to inhibit skin appendage formation. We show that the function of specific
BMPs during feather development is more complex. BMP2 and
BMP7, which are expressed in both the epidermis and the dermis, are
involved in an antagonistic fashion in regulating the formation of dermal
condensations, and thus are both necessary for subsequent feather
morphogenesis. BMP7 is expressed earlier and functions as a
chemoattractant that recruits cells into the condensation, whereas
BMP2 is expressed later, and leads to an arrest of cell migration,
likely via its modulation of the EIIIA fibronectin domain and 
4
integrin expression. Based on the observed cell proliferation, chemotaxis and
the timing of BMP2 and BMP7 expression, we propose a
mathematical model, a reaction-diffusion system, which not only simulates
feather patterning, but which also can account for the negative effects of
excess BMP2 or BMP7 on feather formation.
Key words: Dermis, Cutaneous appendage, Chemotaxis, Migration, Fibronectin, Mathematical model, Skin
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