Journal
CELL
Volume 179, Issue 6, Pages 1409-+Publisher
CELL PRESS
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.11.008
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Categories
Funding
- ISCC, CMUH, Taiwan
- Drug Development Center, CMU - Higher Education Sprout Project by Ministry of Education (HESP-MOE)
- Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan [MOST 105-2311-B-039-001, MOST 106-2311-B-039-001]
- US NIH [AR 047364, AR 060306]
- CMUH [USC 5351285884]
- USC [USC 5351285884]
- iEGG/Avian Genetic Resource/ABC - HESP-MOE [107-S-0023]
- Human Frontier Science Program [LT-000728/2018]
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [NSFC 41602013]
- NSFC [31370269]
- Academia Sinica Research Program on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
- Top Notch Project, NCKU [D103-35B05, D104-35B04]
- University Advancement grant by MOE, Taiwan
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The evolution of flight in feathered dinosaurs and early birds over millions of years required flight feathers whose architecture features hierarchical branches. While barb-based feather forms were investigated, feather shafts and vanes are understudied. Here, we take a multi-disciplinary approach to study their molecular control and bio-architectural organizations. In rachidial ridges, epidermal progenitors generate cortex and medullary keratinocytes, guided by Bmp and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) signaling that convert rachides into adaptable bilayer composite beams. In barb ridges, epidermal progenitors generate cylindrical, plate-, or hooklet-shaped barbule cells that form fluffy branches or pennaceous vanes, mediated by asymmetric cell junction and keratin expression. Transcriptome analyses and functional studies show anterior-posterior Wnt2b signaling within the dermal papilla controls barbule cell fates with spatiotemporal collinearity. Quantitative bio-physical analyses of feathers from birds with different flight characteristics and feathers in Burmese amber reveal how multi-dimensional functionality can be achieved and may inspire future composite material designs.
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