Authors
Meenakshi Umar, Garrett Bartoletti, Dimitri Sokolowskei, Nathan Janser, Robert J Tower, Fenglei He
Published in
Development (Cambridge, England). Volume 153. Issue 16. Aug 15, 2026. Epub Jun 17, 2026.
Abstract
Craniosynostosis, the premature fusion of calvarial bones, is a common congenital defect often attributed to the loss of fibrous sutures or excessive ossification. Recent studies have reported aberrant cartilage formation near affected sutures, suggesting a previously unrecognized role for cartilage in suture morphogenesis and maintenance. The tectum transversum (TTR), a transient cartilage adjacent to the coronal suture, has been considered absent in humans. By analyzing published human embryonic datasets, we demonstrate that the TTR is in fact a conserved structure in humans. We further investigated the developmental dynamics and function of the TTR in mice. Spatial transcriptomic analyses reveal that the TTR mediates critical tissue-tissue interactions and may serve as a physical and molecular barrier restricting BMP signaling activation within the coronal suture, potentially modulated by the underlying dura mater. These findings identify the TTR as a conserved regulator of coronal suture morphogenesis and provide new mechanistic insight into the etiology of coronal craniosynostosis.
PMID:
42306851
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 17 Jun 2026.
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