Subject

Developmental Biology

  • code 13475
  • course 2
  • term Semester 1
  • type FB
  • credits 3

Matter: BIOLOGY

Main language of instruction: Spanish

Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English

Teaching staff

Head instructor

Dra. Laura TABERNER - ltaberner@uic.es

Office hours

Doubts will be resolved before or after class. You can also contact the teacher by email: ltaberner@uic.es

Introduction

In this subject, the molecular basis of embryonic development of vertebrate organisms will be studied. The development processes of different species of animals will be analyzed in order to familiarize the student with the experimental models and current theories on the generation of embryonic axes, space-time patterns, induction, neurogenesis and organogenesis,
as well as with the biology of stem cells and tissue regeneration.

Pre-course requirements

The students should have a basic knowledge about biochemistry, genetics, cell biology and molecular biology.

Objectives

  • To know the basic processes of embryonic development of the most well-known animal models.


  • To understand the basic processes of fertilization, segmentation and gastrulation in vertebrate organisms.

 

  • To understand the establishment of  the body axes of the main model organism.


  • To understand the mechanisms of nervous system development: neural induction, the generation of neurons and the establishment of synaptic connections.


  • To understand the basic elements of organ development.


  • To understand the relationship between developmental biology and stem cells, cancer and regeneration processes. 


  • To understand the usefulness of knowledge of developmental biology in improving human health.

Competences / Learning outcomes of the degree programme

  • Recognize the basic biological concepts and the language of biomedical sciences.

  • Develop the appropriate organizational and planning capacity suitable at all times.

  • Develop the capacity for problem solving.

  • Develop the capacity for analysis and synthesis.

  • Be able to carry out autonomous learning.

Learning outcomes of the subject

At the end of the course, the student:

  • Know the embryonic development and organogenesis of the apparatus and systems of vertebrate organisms.

Syllabus

Unit 1. Introduction to Developmental Biology. Developmental Biology: the convergence between experimental embryology and developmental genetics.

Unit 2. Key concepts and fertilization. Basic processes: growth, pattern formation and morphogenesis. Developmental genes.  Basic patterns of vertebrate development. Fertilization, oogenesis and spermatogenesis

Unit 3. Drosophila I and II axial specification. Antero-posterior axis. « Maternal effect », protein gradients, positional information, mutations. Bicoid case. Dorso-ventral polarity: dorsal gene and dorsal mutation. Interaction follicular cells and oocyte. Dpp signal and dorso-ventral patterning. Segmentation: gap and pair-rule. Parasegments Genes segment polarity. Homeotic genes: diversification and identity of the segments. The combinatorial language. 

Unit 4. Axial specification Xenopus, chicken and zebrafish. Xenopus laevis development. Fertilization and cortical rotation.  Stages. Segmentation, blastula and gastrulation. Fate map blastula Xenopus. The organizer of Spemann.  Patterning of the ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm.  The development of chicken and zebrafish. Stages. Segmentation, blastula and gastrulation. The node and the primitive line. EM and ME transitions. Epibolia. The fate map of the chicken and zebrafish blastula. 

Unit 5. Mammalian development: the mouse and human embryo. Embryonic stages and development time. Segmentation and blastula: bilaminar embryo. Destination map (fate map) of the mouse blastula. The development of the human embryo. Segmentation and blastula: trilaminar embryo. Gastrulation: the node and the primitive line. Axial specification mammals. Homologues of the Spemann organizer in the amniots. Antero-posterior axis. Left-right axis. The Node.

Unit 6. Neurogenesis I and II. Neural Induction Neurulation mechanisms: the neural plaque. Antero-posterior and dorso-ventral specification of the nervous tube. Hox vertebrate genes. The neural tube, formation of the brain and cerebral vesicles. Cell types and layers of the brain. Neural specification and innervation. Proneural genes of vertebrates. Neural identity specification.

Unit 7. Neurogenesis III, Neural Crest and Placodas. Selection of innervation routes and neuronal targets. Neurotrophic factors. Synaptic plasticity. Development according to activity. Derivatives neural crest, migration routes. Pluripotence, restriction and differentiation. Sensory placodas.  

Unit 8. Organogenesis I:The somites. Somite structure and development. The clock and wavefront model of somite formation. Notocorda and paraxial mesoderm. Differentiation and regionalization of somites: dermamiotome and sclerotome. The musculoskeletal system. Myogenesis and the MyoD family. Osteogenesis Organogenesis II: limb development. Determination of the morphogenic field of the extremities. The apical crest. Next-distal axis generation: Retinoic acid, FGFs and Hox genes. Antero-posterior axis: ZPA and Shh. Dorso-ventral axis: Wnt. 

Unit 9. Organogenesis III: the cardiovascular system. The origin of cardiac tissues. Specification cardiogenic mesoderm.  Formation, fusion and rotation of the cardiac primordia. Angiogenesis and vasculogenesis. Hematopoiesis Organogenesis III: the urogenital system.

Unit 10. Stem cells and regeneration. Definition stem cells.  Pluripotence and differentiation. Symmetric and asymmetric division. Stem cells of cancer. Balance proliferation and differentiation. Regeneration and reprogramming, iPSCs.

Unit 11: Research in development biology.


Teaching and learning activities

In person

Master classes: 50-minute presentation of a theoretical topic by the teacher.


Clinical cases or case methods (MC): Statement of a real or imaginary situation. Students work on the questions asked in small groups or in active interaction with the teacher and the answers are discussed. The teacher takes part actively and, if necessary, brings new knowledge.

 Virtual education (EV): Online material that the student can consult from any computer, at any time and that will contribute to the self-learning of concepts related to the subject. 


Evaluation systems and criteria

In person

  1. Students in first call: 

Participation in class and attitude: 10% 

Resolution of case methods: 10% 

Final exam: 80% 

 

 2) Students in second or subsequent call: the participation grade and attitude in class and methods of the case will be saved, although whenever they wish, students can repeat class attendance and obtain a new grade. On the other hand, the students in the second call will be able to choose if they make the partial and the final, or if they only make the final, which will give them 70% of the mark.

 

General points to consider about the evaluation system:

  1. In the final exam, a minimum grade of 5 must be obtained in order to be able to average the marks of continuous evaluation (case methods and attitude).

 

  1. The exams will be of the test type with 4 response options, counting +1 the successes and -0.2 the errors and there will also be test questions.

 

  1. 10% of the questions of the exams could be of concepts that have not been explained directly in the classroom but that are present in the recommended bibliography as well as in articles discussed, press or virtual material recommended.

 

  1. Participation in class means the contribution of interesting ideas or the raising of pertinent issues that help to improve the quality of the session either master lesson or case methods.

 

  1. Attendance to class:

  • Regular attendance to theory classes and case methods is recommended. 

  • The attendance to the master classes is not obligatory, but the assistants will have to be governed by the norms that the professors indicate. Students are encouraged to attend classes or otherwise it is understood that they will prepare the class on their own to be able to follow the methods of the case. 

  • Assistance to case methods is recommended. In order to be evaluated in this part of the subject, it is mandatory to attend a minimum of 4 sessions (of the 5) and perform the activities proposed in the session

  1. The improper use of electronic devices such as mobiles, tablets or laptops may result in class expulsion. The misuse is the recording and dissemination of both students or teachers during the different lessons, as well as the use of these devices for recreational and non-educational purposes. 

Bibliography and resources

GILBERT SCOTT, F.  Developmental Biology. 8th-10th eds. Sinauer Massachusetts: Sinauer Associates, [www.devbio.com]. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK9983/?term=GILBERT%5BAll%20Fields%5D

WOLPERT, Lewis. Principles of development. 3rd-5th editions Oxford: Oxford University Press / Current Biology Ltd. 

ALBERTS et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell 4th. ed. ch. 21. Garland Science. Companion website:

LANGMAN'S.  Medical Embryology,   9th Ed. Lippincott   Williams & Wilkins Ed., 2004. Embriología médica. Barcelona: Panamericana


Evaluation period

E: exam date | R: revision date | 1: first session | 2: second session:

  • E1 15/01/2020 14:00h A12
  • E2 19/06/2020 11:00h
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