Geometric morphometric analysis identifies craniofacial deformity in the noggin mutant

Noggin is associated with cranial suture patency, but mice with noggin perturbations also exhibit a suite of changes in craniofacial shape and size beyond the cranial sutures; however, these differences have not been characterized because noggin knockout mice die at birth.[1] Use of a novel conditional knockout has allowed for characterization of noggin's role in post-natal, craniofacial development. We hypothesize that noggin has spatially and temporally specific roles in craniofacial development beyond the calvarium. In this study, geometric morphometric analysis of skulls from conditional noggin knockout mice revealed significant phenotypic differences in the craniofacial skeleton that have not been documented previously.