Cell cycle arrest of a craniofacial epithelial population shapes faces in mice and humans.

Cell cycle arrest in the ZL epithelial population is essential for facial prominence fusion in mice and humans, with Zfhx3 deletion initiating orofacial clefting.

• Why it matters: Understanding how facial features develop and why abnormalities occur is crucial for addressing craniofacial disorders like OFC, which results from failed tissue fusion.
• What they did: The study characterized the ZL epithelial cells, found disrupted cell cycle arrest in mutant mice with OFC, identified ZFHX3 variants in human OFC cases, and demonstrated that Zfhx3 deletion causes OFC in mice.
• The result: Findings suggest that Zfhx3 and Pbx1 cooperatively regulate cell cycle inhibitors, revealing a mechanism linking cell cycle arrest to tissue fusion and offering potential targets for intervention.