Molecular control of mandibular development

正常的胚胎和胎儿发育取决于细胞从一个地方移动到另一个地方的能力。这种行为使细胞能够在一个地点产生并运输到一个或多个其他地点。虽然在我们看来，脸是一个无缝的整体，但它起源于许多组织块，这些组织块开始分别发育，必须以协调的方式生长，使它们能够在正确的时间、正确的地点和正确的顺序相遇。这种生长和融合的基础是单个细胞在胚胎周围移动的能力，以便在需要的时间和地点为这个构建过程提供原材料。细胞在构建胚胎的各个部分中的联合活动被称为形态发生，字面意思是创造形状。我们正试图深入了解产生面部的形态发生的基础。这一点很重要，因为面部和其他与之密切相关的结构特别容易出错。尽管如此，令人惊讶的是，人们对控制面部发育的机制知之甚少。我们知道很多关于哪些细胞参与构建面部的信息，但很少知道是什么触发了发育的最初步骤或维持有序的生长。我们的研究旨在通过对正常发育和出生缺陷的研究来确定在控制面部发育方面重要的基因。我们正在定义基因的功能，这些基因在控制面部早期发育过程中的细胞行为方面似乎很重要。这些知识将有助于理解面部发育的控制机制，并最终导致改善影响这些结构的出生缺陷的治疗和预防。

Normal embryonic and foetal devlopment depends on the ability of cells to move from one place to another. This behaviour enables cells to be produced at one site and transported to one or a number of other sites. Although the face appears to us as a single seamless unit it originates as a number of blocks of tissue which begin development separately and must grow in a coordinated way that enables them to meet at precisely the correct time, in the correct place and in the correct order. The basis of this growth and fusion is the ability of individual cells to move around the embryo to supply the raw materials for this construction process when and where they are needed. The combined activities of the cells in constructing the various parts of the embryo is known as morphogenesis which literally means creating shape. We are trying to gain insight into the basis of morphogenesis that produces the face. This is important because the face and other structures that are closely associated with it are particularly prone to errors. Despite this, surprisingly little is known about the mechansims that control development of the face. We know a great deal about which cells are involved in constructing the face but very little about what triggers the initial steps of development or maintains ordered growth. Our research is aimed at defining genes that are important in controlling development of the face through the study of normal development and birth defects. We are defining the function of genes that appear to be important in controlling the behaviour of cells during early development of the face. This knowledge will assist in understanding the control mechanism for facial devlopment and will eventually lead to improvements in the treatment and prevention of birth defects affecting these structures.