Evidence item

To explore a potential role for peripheral neurons in fine-tuning the facial skeleton, we analyzed craniofacial morphology of mouse embryos lacking cranial sensory ganglia due to genetic KO of Neurogenin 1 (Neurog1), and discovered specific facial anomalies. Although we did not observe differences in the length of the zygomatic, we found significant and clear differences in the shape of maxilla and alisphenoid, suggesting that peripheral neurons influence craniofacial skeletal shaping in mammalian embryos. Further efforts should be aimed at determining whether defects in Neurog1-KO bones were caused by altered cell signaling or by other mechanisms.