Ressource pédagogique : Prof. Bernd Kaspers - The developing immune system of the chicken embryo

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Development of hematopoietic cells has been investigated intensively in the chicken embryo. Early hematopoietic stem cells develop in the aortic region and seed to primary lymphoid organs where they mature into T- and B-lymphocytes. Subsequently, they start to colonize the periphery at embryonic day 15/19 and around hatch, respectively. Monoclonal antibodies, recombinant cytokines and new in vivo technologies were instrumental to dissect these pathways. For example, bursal development is dependent on B cell activating factor of the TNF family (BAFF) as shown by retroviral mediated overexpression of BAFF or its decoy receptor (BCMA). This technology may be useful to study other regulatory systems including chemokines which media targeted migration during haematopoiesis. Using small soluble inhibitors, we recently could show that the chemokine receptor CXCR4 and its ligand CXCL12 are essential for the colonization of the bursa anlage by B-cell precursors. Microarray studies of the developing bursa identified a range of additional cytokines and chemokines, which may play an important role at distinct developmental stages. Amongst them, we found OPG and RANKL, which have been cloned in the chicken and would be available for future studies not only in B-cell but also in bone biology. Further progress came with the first gene knockout in chickens now enabling phenotypic studies and rescue experiments to better understand the functional role of such factors.  

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• Biochimie (572)

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