Int. J. Dev. Biol. 62: 137 - 144 (2018)

https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.170291gs

Vol 62, Issue 1-2-3

Special Issue: The Chick Embryo Model System

Early hematopoietic and vascular development in the chick

Published: 14 March 2018

Hiroki Nagai^1,5, Masahiro Shin^2,5, Wei Weng^1,5, Fumie Nakazawa⁵, Lars Martin Jakt^3,5, Cantas Alev^4,5 and Guojun Sheng^*,1,5

¹International Research Center for Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan, ²University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA, ³Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, Bodo, Norway, ⁴Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan and ⁵RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe, Japan

Abstract

The field of hematopoietic and vascular developmental research owes its origin to the chick embryo. Many key concepts, such as the hematopoietic stem cell, hemangioblast and hemogenic endothelium, were first proposed in this model organism. Genetically tractable models have gradually replaced the chick in the past two decades. However, advances in comparative genomics, transcriptomics and promoteromics promise a re-emergence of the chick embryo as a powerful model for hematopoietic/vascular research. This review summarizes the current status of our understanding of early blood/vascular development in the chick, focusing primarily on the processes of primitive hematopoiesis and early vascular network formation in the extraembryonic and lateral plate mesoderm territories. Emphasis is given to ontological and molecular association between the blood and endothelial cells and to the evolutionary relationship between the hemangioblasts, common precursors for the blood and endothelial lineages, and the coelomic epithelial lining cells. Links between early blood/vascular development and later definitive hematopoiesis are also discussed. Finally, potential applications of the chick model for comparative and omics-level studies of the blood/vascular system are highlighted.

Keywords

remodeling, evolution, vascular smooth muscle, transcriptome, promoterome