Bone Abstracts

Objectives: Craniosynostosis is a skeletal birth defect, resulting in premature fusion of cranial sutures. The patency of the sutures is essential to enable the growth of the skull in compliance to the developing brain. Mutations in TWIST1 and TCF12 have been identified in patients with Saethre-Chotzen syndrome, which is typically associated with coronal synostosis. Studies in mouse models suggest that the quantity of TCF12-TWIST1 heterodimers is one critical...

Objectives: Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a rare hereditary disease, leading to deficits in bone and tooth mineralization, muscular as well as neurological abnormalities due to decreased enzymatic activity of the tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP, encoded by the alpl gene). In this project, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) will be established as a new and valuable animal model for HPP research. Consequently, endogenous TNAP expression should be analyzed in different zebrafi...