This study revealed that during avian skin development, complex tissue architecture results from specific cellular flows and mechanical processes that guide feather bud protrusion and elongation, with distinct differences noted in scale development, where rigidity restricts such transformations.
May 2026 in “The EMBO Journal” This study demonstrated how cellular flows and tissue mechanics guide the topological transformations in avian skin, essential for feather follicle development from scales.
This study found that fibroblast growth factor 20 (Fgf20) orchestrates the movement and behavior of dermal fibroblasts, directing their formation into dermal condensates during hair follicle development in mice.
In this study, Fgf20 was found to trigger movement and morphogenesis in dermal fibroblasts, facilitating dermal condensate formation essential for hair follicle development.
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February 2019 in “PLoS Biology” This research found that feather pattern formation in birds is regulated by a mechanochemical system involving fibroblast growth factor and bone morphogenetic protein signaling, which is altered in the flightless emu and ostrich.
