Homeobox Gene Hoxa3 Is Essential for the Formation of the Carotid Body in the Mouse Embryos

Homeobox gene Hoxa3 is strongly expressed in the third pharyngeal arch and pouch. We found that Hoxa3 homozygous null mutant mice had the lack of the carotid body. In all late-term mutant embryos examined (n = 10), no carotid body was present. The carotid body rudiment is formed in the wall of the t...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Developmental biology 2002-07, Vol.247 (1), p.197-209
Main Authors: Kameda, Yoko, Nishimaki, Toshiyuki, Takeichi, Masatoshi, Chisaka, Osamu
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
carotid artery
carotid body
Carotid Body - embryology
Carotid Body - physiology
Carotid Body - ultrastructure
Embryonic and Fetal Development - genetics
Female
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
Homeodomain Proteins - genetics
Homeodomain Proteins - physiology
Hoxa3 gene
Immunohistochemistry
knockout mice
Mice
Mice, Knockout
Microscopy, Electron
Pregnancy
superior cervical ganglion of the sympathetic trunk
third arch artery
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Homeobox gene Hoxa3 is strongly expressed in the third pharyngeal arch and pouch. We found that Hoxa3 homozygous null mutant mice had the lack of the carotid body. In all late-term mutant embryos examined (n = 10), no carotid body was present. The carotid body rudiment is formed in the wall of the third branchial artery, which develops into the common carotid artery and the first part of the internal carotid artery. The symmetrical patterns of the third, fourth, and sixth arch arteries were observed in wild-type littermates at embryonic day (E) 10.5–12.5. In Hoxa3 homozygous mutant embryos, however, the third arch artery began to degenerate at E10.5 and almost disappeared at E11.5. Furthermore, the bifurcation of the common carotid artery at the normal position, i.e., at the upper end of the larynx, was never detected in the mutant embryos at E16.5–E18.5. The common carotid artery of the homozygous mutants was separated into the internal and external carotid arteries immediately after its origin. Thus, the present study evidenced that the absence of the carotid body in Hoxa3 homozygous mutants is due to the defect of development of the third arch artery, resulting in malformation of the carotid artery system. During fetal development, the carotid body of mice is in close association with the superior cervical ganglion of the sympathetic trunk. The superior cervical ganglion rather showed hypertrophic features in Hoxa3 homozygous mutants lacking the carotid body.
ISSN:0012-1606
1095-564X
DOI:10.1006/dbio.2002.0689