Using frogs faces to dissect the mechanisms underlying XXXX orofacial defects.

@entity1 @entity2133 @entity2085 @entity1238
UNASSIGNED: In this review I discuss how @entity1238 is an effective model to dissect the mechanisms underlying orofacial defects. This species has been particularly useful in studying the understudied structures of the developing face including the @entity2085 and primary palate. The @entity2085 is the first opening between the foregut and the environment and is critical for @entity2133 development. The final step in @entity2085 formation is the perforation of a thin layer of tissue covering the digestive tube called the buccopharyngeal membrane. When this tissue does not perforate in @entity1 it can pose serious health risks for the fetus and @entity1 . The primary palate forms just dorsal to the @entity2085 and in non-amniotes it functions as the roof of the @entity2133 . Defects in the primary palate result in a median oral cleft that appears similar across the vertebrates. In @entity1 , these median clefts are often severe and surgically difficult to repair. @entity1238 has several qualities that make it advantageous for craniofacial research. The free living embryo has an easily accessible face and we have also developed several new tools to analyze the development of the region. Further, @entity1238 is readily amenable to chemical screens allowing us to uncover novel gene-environment interactions during orofacial development, as well as to define underlying mechanisms governing such interactions. In conclusion, we are utilizing @entity1238 in new and innovative ways to contribute to craniofacial research.
