Biology subjects

Savery, D.

Publications and source records attributed to Savery, D..

6 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Absence of posterior commissure and sub-commissural organ precedes encephalocele development in a new mouse model

Encephalocele is a congenital defect involving herniation of the meninges, with or without brain tissue, outside the skull. Although traditionally considered a neural tube defect (NTD) alongside anencephaly and open spina bifida (myelomeningocele), encephalocele typically shows well-formed brain tissue, and is likely to represent a later-arising, post-neurulation developmental anomaly, with a different pathogenic mechanism from the open NTDs. A detailed understanding of encephalocele pathogenesis requires experimental studies and, recently, we developed a new mouse model in which the genes encoding FGF3, 4 and 15 are over-expressed in the embryonic day (E) 9.5 brain. Encephalocele subsequently develops as a broad forebrain-midbrain swelling, visible from E11.5, that resolves by birth into a focal brain herniation resembling human parieto-occipital encephalocele. A structural analysis of the brain in mutant embryos reveals absence of the posterior commissure and sub-commissural organ, and at later stages the pineal gland. These structures normally develop just rostral to the forebrain-midbrain boundary, and Pax6 immuno-histochemistry demonstrates that this boundary remains intact in the mutant embryos. Histological analysis reveals a more general change in tissue composition of the neural tube roof in the forebrain-midbrain region, with diminished thickness of the neuroepithelium and increased thickness of the overlying layer, including the non-neural ectoderm (future epidermis). We conclude that the posterior commissure and sub-commissural organ, previously implicated in hydrocephalus, may also be fundamental for development of the earlier-arising brain malformation, encephalocele.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Chiari II brain malformation is secondary to open spina bifida

Chiari II brain malformation affects 90% of children with open spina bifida. Hindbrain herniation leads to hydrocephalus, together with higher brain anomalies including cerebral cortical defects implicated in learning disability, which affects 20-25% of children with spina bifida. The causal link between Chiari II and spina bifida has long been debated, and we aimed to determine whether Chiari II arises secondary to spina bifida, rather than as a separate effect of shared genetic or non-genetic factor(s). Pax3 gene function was conditionally deleted by Cdx2cre specifically in the lower body of mice, leaving the head genetically intact. Open spina bifida is seen in all Cdx2cre/+; Pax3fl/flfetuses, together with many features of Chiari II in the wild-type brain and skull. These include: hindbrain herniation, callosal and hippocampal hypogenesis, cortical thinning with neuronal heterotopia, a thickened ventricular zone, and posterior skull defects. Hence, the brain and skull defects of Chiari II arise secondary to open spina bifida, with likely disturbance of neurogenesis and neuronal migration early in gestation. The Cdx2cre/+; Pax3fl/fl mouse provides a model for improved understanding of Chiari II pathogenesis.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2021

The mechanobiology of craniosynostosis in Crouzon syndrome

Children with syndromic forms of craniosynostosis undergo a plethora of surgical interventions to resolve the clinical features caused by the premature fusion of cranial sutures. While surgical correction is reliable, the need for repeated rounds of invasive treatment puts a heavy burden on the child and their family. This study explores a non-surgical alternative using mechanical loading of the cranial joints to prevent or delay craniofacial phenotypes associated with Crouzon syndrome. We treated Crouzon syndrome mice before the onset of craniosynostosis by cyclical mechanical loading of cranial joints using a custom designed set-up. Cranial loading applied to the frontal bone partially restores normal skull morphology, significantly reducing the typical brachycephalic appearance. This is underpinned by the delayed closure of the coronal suture and of the intersphenoidal synchondrosis. This study provides a novel treatment alternative for syndromic craniosynostosis which has the potential to be an important step towards replacing, reducing or refining the surgical treatment of all craniosynostosis patients.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2021

Severe neural tube defects due to failure of closure initiation can arise without abnormality of neuroepithelial convergent extension

Planar cell polarity (PCP) signalling is vital for initiation of neural tube closure in mice, with diminished convergent extension (CE) cell movements leading to a severe form of neural tube defect (NTD), termed craniorachischisis (CRN). Some human NTDs are also associated with PCP gene mutations, but affected individuals are generally heterozygous, whereas PCP homozygosity or compound heterozygosity is needed to produce CRN in mice. This suggests human NTDs may involve other genetic or environmental factors, that interact with partial loss of PCP function. We found that reduced sulfation OF glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) interacts with heterozygosity for the Lp allele of Vangl2 (a core PCP gene), to cause CRN in mice. Here, we hypothesised that this GAG-PCP interaction may regulate convergent extension movements, and hence lead to severe NTDs in the context of only partial loss of PCP function. Both Lp and null alleles of Vangl2 gave similar findings. Culture of E8.5 embryos in the presence of chlorate (a GAG sulfation inhibitor), or enzymatic cleavage of GAG chains, led to failure of NT closure initiation in the majority of Lp/+ embryos, whereas few +/+ littermates exhibited CRN. The chlorate effect was rescued by exogenous sulphate. Surprisingly, DiO labeling of the embryonic node demonstrated no abnormality of midline axial extension in chlorate-treated Lp/+ embryos that developed CRN. In contrast, positive control Lp/Lp embryos displayed severe convergent extension defects in this assay. Morphometric analysis of the closure initiation site revealed abnormalities in the size and shape of somites that flank the closing neural tube in chlorate-treated Lp/+ embryos. We conclude that severe NTDs involving failure of closure initiation can arise by a mechanism other than faulty neuroepithelial convergent extension. Matrix-mediated expansion of somites, flanking the closing neural tube, may be required for closure initiation.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Novel mouse model of encephalocele: post-neurulation origin and relationship to open neural tube defects

Encephalocele is a clinically important birth defect that can lead to severe disability in childhood and beyond. The embryonic pathogenesis of encephalocele is poorly understood and, while usually classified as a neural tube defect, there is conflicting evidence on whether encephalocele results from defective neural tube closure, or is a post-neurulation defect. It is also unclear whether encephalocele can result from the same causative factors as anencephaly and open spina bifida, or whether it is aetiologically distinct. This lack of information results largely from the scarce availability of animal models of encephalocele, particularly ones that resemble the commonest, non-syndromic human defects. Here we report a novel mouse model of occipito-parietal encephalocele, in which the small GTPase Rac1 is conditionally ablated in the (non-neural) surface ectoderm. Most mutant fetuses have open spina bifida, and some also exhibit exencephaly/anencephaly. However, a large proportion of mutant fetuses exhibit encephalocele affecting the occipito-parietal region. The encephalocele phenotype does not result from a defect in neural tube closure, but rather from a later disruption of the surface ectoderm covering the already closed neural tube, allowing the brain to herniate. The neuroepithelium itself shows no down-regulation of Rac1 and appears morphologically normal until late gestation. A large skull defect develops overlying the region of brain herniation. Our work provides a new genetic model of occipito-parietal encephalocele, particularly resembling non-syndromic human cases. While encephalocele has a different, later-arising pathogenesis than open neural tube defects, both can share the same genetic causation.\n\nSUMMARY STATEMENTEncephalocele - a severe brain defect - arises after neural tube closure, but can share a common genetic cause with anencephaly, a defect of neural tube closure.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Genetic approaches in mice demonstrate that neuro-mesodermal progenitors express T/Brachyury but not Sox2

Neural tube and somites have long been thought to derive from separate germ layers: the ectoderm and mesoderm. This concept was challenged by the discovery of neuro-mesodermal progenitors, a bi-potent cell population that gives rise to both spinal neural tube and somites. In line with their proposed potency, these cells are considered to co-express the neural marker Sox2 and the mesodermal marker T/Brachyury. We performed genetic lineage tracing in mouse embryos and confirmed that T-expressing cells give rise to both neural tube and mesoderm. Surprisingly, however, Sox2-expressing cell derivatives colonise only the neural tube after embryonic day 8.5. Deletion of Sox2 in T-expressing cells was compatible with an otherwise normal neural tube and paraxial mesoderm. Moreover, Sox2 expression is absent from the chordoneural hinge, where neuro-mesodermal progenitors are located. Our findings demonstrate that neuro-mesodermal progenitors express T but not Sox2, suggesting the need for re-evaluation of the neuro-mesodermal progenitor hypothesis.

developmental biology↗