Developmental Biology - channel 2

The course aims to provide students with in-depth knowledge on the general characteristics and significance of the different stages of embryonic development of invertebrates and vertebrates; the mechanisms underlying cell differentiation are also assessed. The course also includes a descriptive analysis of the early stages of embryonic development of some invertebrate and vertebrate organisms used as a model of study.

The origins of Developmental Biology. Reproduction: meaning and modality. Parthenogenesis: generality. Main features of the development. General characteristics and meaning of meiosis and mitosis. Gametogenesis: Spermatogenesis. Hormonal regulation of spermatogenesis. Spermatogenesis. Spermatozoon: morphology and structure. Capacitation. Gene expression during spermatogenesis. Oogenesis. Hormonal control of oogenesis. Interaction between oocyte and accessory cells. Folliculogenesis in Mammals. Organization of the egg cell and its maturation. Types of egg. Ovular coatings: organization and their meaning. Insemination: general. Fertilization: general characteristics. Mechanisms of interaction between the gametes: recognition between spermatozoon and egg; sperm attraction; sperm activation. Contact and fusion of gametes. Monospermia and polispermia; gynogenesis and androgenesis. In vitro fertilization: IVF, ICSI. The metabolic activation of the egg and its meaning: early reactions and late reactions. Phosphatidylinositol waterfall. Changes in the organization of the egg cytoplasm following activation. Cytoplasmic determinants: their genesis and segregation during egg activation of Nematodes, Insects, Molluscs, Echinoderms, Tunicates and Amphibians. Segmentation: origin of multicellularity. The mechanisms of the segmentation process; types of holoblastic segmentation (radial, spiral, bilateral, rotational). Types of meroblastic segmentation (discoidal, superficial). Factors that influence segmentation; distribution of cytoplasmic determinants during segmentation; role of the ovular cortex; nuclei of the blastomers; nuclear transplants. The results of segmentation. Types of blastule: celoblastule and sterroblastule; presumptive territories. Gastrulation: types and mechanisms of gastrulation. Morphogenetic movements: molecular and cellular bases. The embryonic sheets and their derivatives. Gastritis physiology: metabolism, gene activity, cellular interactions. Neurulation and formation of the general plan of the body. Early stages of embryonic development of: Amphioxus, Amphibians, Birds and Mammals. The embryonic appendages: general characteristics. Cell differentiation mechanisms: Preformism and Epigenesis. Germinal Plasma Theory. Mosaic and regulatory development: polyembryony. Potential and gradients of the oocyte. Progressive determination of embryonic cells. Function of genes in cell determination and differentiation. Primary and secondary induction: the organizers and the competence; regional specificity of induction; molecular mechanisms of induction. Center of Nieuwkoop and the induction of the mesoderm. Nuclear transplants: general. Role of cellular interactions in development processes. Structure of the eukaryotic genome. Chromatin structure in eukaryotes. Equivalence of the genome and differential gene expression: general characteristics.

Biologia dello Sviluppo, Andreuccetti et al., Ed. McGraw-Hill, 2010-12-13.
Biologia dello Sviluppo, Gilbert, Ed. Zanichelli, 2008.
Browder, Biologia dello Sviluppo – Zanichelli
Wolpert, Biologia dello Sviluppo, Zanichelli