Locally released retinoic acid leads to facial clefts in the chick embryo but does not alter the expression of receptors for fibroblast growth factor.

Systemic administration of retinoic acid (RA) affects the growth of the upper beak of chick embryos; however, the mechanism for generating a cleft upper beak is not known. In the present study, we wished to elucidate the molecular basis of the retinoid-induced lip clefting. In order to ensure that facial prominences were locally exposed to levels of retinoid known to affect gene expression, we implanted beads soaked in different concentrations of RA in the right nasal pit or in the centre of the frontonasal mass. Beads soaked in 5 mg/ml RA placed in the right nasal pit caused full clefting of the upper beak with a deviation of the midline toward the right side of the face. The asymmetry was principally due to a decrease in size or total elimination of the right lateral nasal prominence. RA-soaked beads placed in the centre of the frontonasal mass created full bilateral clefts that were more symmetrical than those produced by beads in the nasal pit. Lower concentrations of retinoic acid produced less severe facial abnormalities. Control experiments show that the implanted bead itself has no effect on growth or fusion of the facial prominences. The specific effects of retinoids on facial growth may be due to a localized decrease in responsiveness to growth factors. Gene expression patterns for two fibroblast growth factor receptors (Cek-2, Cek-3, [chicken embryo kinase]) in normal and RA-treated embryos were examined by in situ hybridization. In normal embryos, Cek-2 and Cek-3 transcripts are expressed at very high levels in the mesenchyme directly adjacent to the eye. Cek-3 is additionally expressed in the centre of the frontonasal mass. The application of beads to the right nasal pit did not change the level of expression or distribution of transcripts for Cek-2 or Cek-3. This data suggests that retinoic acid may be affecting other aspects of the FGF receptor-ligand interaction.