Nonsyndromic clefts of the palate and/or lip are common birth defects arising in about 1/700 live births worldwide. They are caused by multiple genetic and environmental factors, can only be corrected surgically and require complex post-operative care that imposes significant burdens on individuals and society. Our understanding of the molecular networks that control palatogenesis has advanced through studies on mouse genetic models of cleft palate.  In particular, the transcription factor Pax9 regulates palatogenesis through the Bmp, Fgf and Shh pathways in mice.  But there is still much to learn about Pax9s relationship with other signaling pathways in this process. Expression analyses and unbiased gene expression profiling studies offer a molecular explanation for the resolution of palatal defects by showing that Wnt and Eda/Edar-related genes are expressed in normal palatal tissues and that the Wnt and Eda/Edar signaling pathway is downstream of Pax9 in palatogenesis. SOURCE: Shihai Jia (jiashihai@yahoo.com) -  University of Utah

Pluto Bioinformatics

GSE89603: Next Generation Sequencing Facilitates Quantitative Analysis of Wild Type and Pax9-/- Palate shelves Transcriptomes