Abstract
The mammalian skull vault consists of several intricately patterned bones that grow in close coordination. The growth of these bones depends on the precise regulation of the migration and differentiation of osteogenic cells from undifferentiated precursor cells located above the eye. Here, we demonstrate a role for Foxc1 in modulating the influence of Bmp signaling on the expression of Msx2 and the specification of these cells. Inactivation of Foxc1 results in a dramatic reduction in skull vault growth and causes an expansion of Msx2 expression and Bmp signaling into the area occupied by undifferentiated precursor cells. Foxc1 interacts directly with a Bmp responsive element in an enhancer upstream of Msx2, and acts to reduce the occupancy of P-Smad1/5/8. We propose that Foxc1 sets a threshold for the Bmp-dependent activation of Msx2, thus controlling the differentiation of osteogenic precursor cells and the rate and pattern of calvarial bone development.