Insights into Craniofacial Development and Anomalies: Exploring Fgf Signaling in Zebrafish Models.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To illustrate the value of using zebrafish to understand the role of the Fgf signaling pathway during craniofacial skeletal development under normal and pathological conditions.

RECENT FINDINGS: Recent data obtained from studies on zebrafish have demonstrated the genetic redundancy of Fgf signaling pathway and have identified new molecular partners of this signaling during the early stages of craniofacial skeletal development. Studies on zebrafish models demonstrate the involvement of the Fgf signaling pathway at every stage of craniofacial development. They particularly emphasize the central role of Fgf signaling pathway during the early stages of the development, which significantly impacts the formation of the various structures making up the craniofacial skeleton. This partly explains the craniofacial abnormalities observed in disorders associated with FGF signaling. Future research efforts should focus on investigating zebrafish Fgf signaling during more advanced stages, notably by establishing zebrafish models expressing mutations responsible for diseases such as craniosynostoses.