A muscularised pharynx, with skeletal support, serving the dual functions of feeding and respiration, is a fundamental vertebrate characteristic. Embryologically, the pharyngeal apparatus has its origin in a series of bulges that form on the lateral surface of the embryonic head, the pharyngeal arches, whose development is complex. These structures are composed of a number of disparate embryonic cell types: ectoderm, endoderm, neural crest and mesoderm, whose development must be coordinated to generate the functional adult apparatus. In the past, most studies have emphasised the role played by the neural crest, which generates the skeletal elements of the arches, in directing pharyngeal arch development, but it has also become apparent that the endoderm plays a prominent role in directing arch development. Neural crest cells are not required for arch formation, their regionalisation nor to some extent their sense of identity. Furthermore, the endoderm is the major site of expression of a number of important signalling molecules, and this tissue has been shown to be responsible for promoting the formation of particular components of the arches. Thus vertebrate pharyngeal morphogenesis can now be seen to be a more complex process than was previously believed, and must result from an integration of both neural crest and endodermal patterning mechanisms. Interestingly, this also mirrors the fact that the evolutionary origin of pharyngeal segmentation predates that of the neural crest, which is an exclusively vertebrate characteristic. As such, the evolution of the vertebrate pharynx is also likely to have resulted from an integration between these 2 patterning systems. Alterations in the interplay between neural crest and endodermal patterning are also likely to be responsible for the evolutionary that occurred to the pharyngeal region during subsequent vertebrate evolution.

Previous studies on ageing animal and human subjects have demonstrated a significant overall decline in neuronal numbers in the myenteric plexus of the enteric nervous system (ENS). Our study aimed to confirm this observation by counting myenteric neurons stained with the panneuronal markers PGP 9.5 and NADH-diaphorase. We also wished to examine the possibility that particular subpopulations of neurons are vulnerable. Therefore, we have immunostained and counted a number of nerve cell groups within the myenteric plexus of old and young Sprague Dawley rats using markers which reflect some of the neuronal phenotypes present, including ChAT and VIP. The number of neurons demonstrating NADH-diaphorase activity was significantly reduced (P<0.05) by approximately 15% in old rats. However, the number of neurons stained for PGP 9.5 immunohistochemistry was not reduced and demonstrated larger numbers of neurons than the NADH-diaphorase method. None of the other neuronal markers studied showed any significant reductions with age. In contrast to previous work, this study has gathered little evidence for extensive cell loss in the myenteric plexus of the aged rat, either in overall populations, or in any of the principal functional groups of neurons.

Approximately 30% of human and mammalian populations develop cognitive impairments with ageing. Many of these impairments have been linked to dysfunction of the hippocampus, a well studied area of the medial-temporal lobe, which is involved in episodic memory and control of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal stress axis and, thus, of glucocorticoid secretion. This paper reviews the growing body of studies which explore a possible relationship between lifetime exposure to glucocorticoids and hippocampal impairment. There is now strong evidence which associates hypercortisolemia in aged men with later cognitive dysfunction and this complements a wealth of rodent and other human data. We conclude with a discussion of possible pharmacological and behavioural interventions.

The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive description of both penile innervation and vascularisation. Eighty-five male cadavers were examined through gross and microscopic anatomical analysis. The pelvic nerve plexus had both parasympathetic and sympathetic roots. It was distributed to the external urethral sphincter giving rise to cavernous nerves which anastomosed in 70% of the cases with the pudendal nerve in the penile root. Accessory pudendal arteries were present in the pelvis in 70% of the cases, anastomosing in 70% of the cases with the cavernous arteries that originated from the pudendal arteries. Transalbugineal anastomoses were always seen between the cavernous artery and the spongiosal arterial network. There were 2 venous pathways, 1 in the pelvis and 1 in the perineum with a common origin from the deep dorsal penile vein. It is concluded that there are 2 neurovascular pathways destined for the penis that are topographically distinct. One is located in the pelvis and the other in the perineum. We were unable to determine the functional balance between these 2 anastomosing pathways but experimental data have shown that they are both involved in penile erection. These 2 neurovascular pathways, above and below the levator ani, together with their anastomoses, form a neurovascular loop around the levator ani.

This study examines the variability in the anatomy of mandibles of differing ages and different stages of tooth loss. Mandibles from individuals between 19 and 96 y were sectioned into 2 mm thick vertical plane-parallel slices and cleaned of marrow and periosteum. The apparent density (mass per unit volume in g/ml) from midline (MID) and mental foramen region (MF) sites was determined by weighing the slices and dividing by a volume calculated as the product of section thickness and the mean area of the 2 sides of the section. The cortical thickness of the inferior border and the basal and alveolar bone heights were measured in radiographs of the slices. Mandibular apparent density was negatively correlated with the cross sectional area (midline r=−0.48, mental foramen r=−0.45), and at the midline was significantly greater in edentulous than in dentate individuals (means (±s.e.m.) edentulous n=13: 1.43 (±0.07) g/ml; dentate n=17: 1.27 (±0.04) g/ml, P<0.05). Where a large enough age range was available, mandibular apparent bone density showed a significant increase with age (midline males: r=0.53, n=18) especially for dentate individuals (r=0.91, n=8). There was a correlation between the apparent densities at the two sites in the same mandible (r=0.64), with the values obtained for the midline being significantly greater than for the mental foramen region (midline 1.34 (±0.04) g/ml; mental foramen 1.19 (±0.04) g/ml, P<0.001, paired t test). The mandible shows great interindividual variability, but there may be a considerable reduction in cross sectional girth of the mandible following tooth loss, and, unlike postcranial sites, an increase in apparent density with age.

Teeth as a feeding mechanism in an oral cavity (mouth) are functionally and locationally linked with jaws. In fossils, teeth found in the oral cavity are usually linked with jaws, although mineralised structures with the same histology as teeth are known in fossils before jaws appeared. Denticles in the skin occur in both fossil and extant fish. Pharyngeal denticles also occur in both extant and fossil gnathostomes but in only a few fossil agnathans (thelodonts). Complex structures with dentine and enamel have been described in the earliest jawless vertebrates, conodonts. Such fossils have been used to suggest that teeth and jaws have evolved and developed independently. Our understanding of the developmental biology of mammalian tooth development has increased greatly in the last few years to a point where we now understand some of the basic genetic interactions controlling tooth initiation, morphogenesis and patterning. The aim of this review is to see what this developmental information can reveal about evolution of the dentition.

Neurons cannot negotiate an elongation across the peripheral (PNS)–central nervous system (CNS) transitional zone and grow into or out of the spinal cord in the mature mammal. The astrocytic rich CNS part of the spinal nerve root is most effective in preventing regeneration even of nerve fibres from transplanted embryonic ganglion cells. Regeneration of severed nerve fibres into the spinal cord occurs when the transition zone is absent as in the immature animal. Before the establishment of a transition zone there is also new growth of neuronal processes from dorsal horn neurons distally to the injured dorsal root. Thus the experimental strategy to reestablish spinal cord to peripheral nerve connectivity has been to delete the transitional region and implant severed ventral or dorsal roots into the spinal cord. Dorsal root implantation resulted in reestablished afferent connectivity by new neuronal processes from secondary sensory neurons in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord extending into the PNS. The ability for plasticity in these cells allowed for a concurrent retention of their original rostral projection. Ventral root implantation into the spinal cord corrected deficit motor function. In a long series of experiments performed in different species, the functional restitution was demonstrated to depend on an initial regrowth of motor neuron axons through spinal cord tissue (CNS). These findings have led to the design of a new surgical strategy in cases of traumatic spinal nerve root injuries.

This paper reviews recent work in radiological image registration and provides a classification of image registration by type of transformation and by methods employed to compute the transformation. The former includes transformation of 2D images to 2D images of the same individual, transformation of 3D images to 3D images of the same individual, transformation of images to an atlas or model, transformation of images acquired from a number of individuals, transformations for image guided interventions including 2D to 3D registration and finally tissue deformation in image guided interventions. Recent work on computing transformations for registration using corresponding landmark based registration, surface based registration and voxel similarity measures, including entropy based measures, are reviewed and compared. Recently fully automated algorithms based on voxel similarity measures and, in particular, mutual information have been shown to be accurate and robust at registering images of the head when the rigid body assumption is valid. Two approaches to modelling soft tissue deformation for applications in image guided interventions are described. Validation of complex processing tasks such as image registration is vital if these algorithms are to be used in clinical practice. Three alternative validation strategies are presented. These methods are finding application outside the original domain of radiological imaging.

Marsupial mammals have a distinctive reproductive strategy. The young are born after an exceptionally short period of organogenesis and are consequently extremely altricial. Yet because they must be functionally independent in an essentially embryonic condition, the marsupial neonate exhibits a unique suite of adaptations. In particular, certain bones of the facial region, most cranial musculature and a few additional structures are accelerated in their development. In contrast, central nervous system structures, especially the forebrain, are markedly premature at birth, resembling an embryonic d 11 or 12 mouse. This review examines the developmental processes that are modified to produce these evolutionary changes. The focus is on the early development of the neural plate, neural crest and facial region in the marsupial, Monodelphis domestica, compared with patterns reported for rodents. Neural crest begins differentiation and migration at the neural plate stage, which results in large accumulations of neural crest in the facial region at an early stage of development. The early accumulation of neural crest provides the material for the accelerated development of oral and facial structures. The first arch region is massive in the early embryo, and the development of the olfactory placode and frontonasal region is advanced relative to the forebrain region. The development of the forebrain is delayed in marsupials relative to the hindbrain or facial region. These observations illustrate how development may be modified to produce evolutionary changes that distinguish taxa. Further, they suggest that development is not necessarily highly conserved, but instead may be quite plastic.

Models of basal ganglia function are described which encapsulate the principal pathophysiological mechanisms underlying parkinsonian akinesia on the one hand and abnormal involuntary movement disorders (dyskinesias) on the other. In Parkinson's disease, degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopamine system leads to overactivity of the ‘indirect’ striatopallidal projection to the lateral (external) segment of the globus pallidus. This causes inhibition of lateral pallidal neurons, which in turn project to the subthalamic nucleus. Disinhibition of the subthalamic nucleus leads to abnormal subthalamic overactivity and, as a consequence, overactivity of medial (internal) pallidal output neurons. Dyskinesias, such as are observed in Huntington's disease, levodopa-induced dyskinesia and ballism, share mechanistic features in common and are associated with decreased neuronal activity in both the subthalamic nucleus and the medial globus pallidus.

This paper reviews the application of medical imaging and associated computer graphics techniques to the study of human evolutionary history, with an emphasis on basic concepts and on the advantages and limitations of each method. Following a short discussion of plain film radiography and pluridirectional tomography, the principles of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and their role in the investigation of extant and fossil morphology are considered in more detail. The second half of the paper deals with techniques of 3-dimensional visualisation based on CT and MRI and with quantitative analysis of digital images.

Recent progress in human genetics and neurobiology has led to the identification of various mutations in particular myelin genes as the cause for many of the known inherited demyelinating peripheral neuropathies. Mutations in 3 distinct myelin genes, PMP22, P0, and connexin 32 cause the 3 major demyelinating subtypes of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, CMT1A, CMT1B and CMTX, respectively. In addition, a reduction in the gene dosage of PMP22 causes hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP), while particular point mutations in PMP22 and P0 cause the severe Dejerine-Sottas (DS) neuropathy. A series of spontaneous and genetically engineered rodent mutants for genes for the above-mentioned myelin constituents are now available and their suitability to serve as models for these still untreatable diseases is an issue of particular interest. The spontaneous mutants Trembler-J and Trembler, with point mutations in PMP22, reflect some of the pathological alterations seen in CMT1A and DS patients, respectively. Furthermore, engineered mutants that either over or underexpress particular myelin genes are suitable models for patients who are similarly compromised in the gene dosage of the corresponding genes. In addition, engineered mutants heterozygously or homozygously deficient in the myelin component P0 show the pathology of distinct CMT1B and DS patients, respectively, while Cx32 deficient mice develop pathological abnormalities similar to those of CMTX patients. Mutants that mimic human peripheral neuropathies might allow the development of strategies to alleviate the symptoms of the diseases, and help to define environmental risk factors for aggravation of the disease. In addition, such mutants might be instrumental in the development of strategies to cure the diseases by gene therapy.

The subchondral bone plate supports the articular cartilage in diarthrodial joints. It has a significant mechanical function in transmitting loads from the cartilage into the underlying cancellous bone and has been implicated in the destruction of cartilage in osteoarthritis (OA) and its sparing in osteoporosis (OP), but little is known of its composition, structure or material properties. This study investigated the microscopic appearance and mineral composition of the subchondral bone plate in femoral heads from patients with OA or OP to determine how these correspond to changes in composition and stiffness found in other studies. Freeze-fractured full-depth samples of the subchondral bone plate from the femoral heads of patients with osteoarthritis, osteoporosis or a matched control group were examined using back scattered and secondary emission scanning electron microscopy. Other samples were embedded and polished and examined using back-scattered electron microscopy and electron probe microanalysis. The appearances of the samples from the normal and osteoporotic patients were very similar, with the subchondral bone plate overlayed by a layer of calcified cartilage. Osteoporotic samples presented a more uniform fracture surface and the relative thicknesses of the layers appeared to be different. In contrast, the OA bone plate appeared to be porous and have a much more textured surface. There were occasional sites of microtrabecular bone formation between the trabeculae of the underlying cancellous bone, which were not seen in the other groups, and more numerous osteoclast resorption pits. The calcified cartilage layer was almost absent and the bone plate was apparently thickened. The appearance of the osteoarthritic subchondral bone plate was, therefore, considerably different from both the normal and the osteoporotic, strongly indicative of abnormal cellular activity.

Tendon cells have complex shapes, with many cell processes and an intimate association with collagen fibre bundles in their extracellular matrix. Where cells and their processes contact one another, they form gap junctions. In the present study, we have examined the distribution of gap junction components in phenotypically different regions of rat Achilles tendon. This tendon contains a prominent enthesial fibrocartilage at its calcaneal attachment and a sesamoid fibrocartilage where it is pressed against the calcaneus just proximal to the attachment. Studies using DiI staining demonstrated typical stellate cell shape in transverse sections of pure tendon, with cells withdrawing their cell processes and rounding up in the fibrocartilaginous zones. Coincident with change in shape, cells stopped expressing the gap junction proteins connexins 32 and 43, with connexin 43 disappearing earlier in the transition than connexin 32. Thus, there are major differences in the ability of cells to communicate with one another in the phenotypically distinct regions of tendon. Individual fibrocartilage cells must sense alterations in the extracellular matrix by cell/matrix interactions, but can only coordinate their behaviour via indirect cytokine and growth factor signalling. The tendon cells have additional possibilities — in addition to the above, they have the potential to communicate direct cytoplasmic signals via gap junctions. The formation of fibrocartilage in tendons occurs because of the presence of compressive as well as tensile forces. It may be that different systems are used to sense and respond to such forces in fibrous and cartilaginous tissues.

Glutamate and GABA neurotransmission is mediated through various types of ionotropic and metabotropic receptors. In this review, we summarise some of our recent findings on the subcellular and subsynaptic localisation of GABAB and group I metabotropic glutamate receptors in the striatopallidal complex of monkeys. Polyclonal antibodies that specifically recognise GABABR1, mGluR1a and mGluR5 receptor subtypes were used for immunoperoxidase and pre-embedding immunogold techniques at the light and electron microscope levels. Both subtypes of group I mGluRs were expressed postsynaptically in striatal projection neurons and interneurons where they aggregate perisynaptically at asymmetric glutamatergic synapses and symmetric dopaminergic synaptic junctions. Moreover, they are also strongly expressed in the main body of symmetric synapses established by putative intrastriatal GABAergic terminals. In the globus pallidus, both receptor subtypes are found postsynaptically in the core of striatopallidal GABAergic synapses and perisynaptically at subthalamopallidal glutamatergic synapses. Finally, extrasynaptic labelling was commonly seen in the globus pallidus and the striatum.

Moderate to intense GABABR1 immunoreactivity was observed in the striatopallidal complex. At the electron microscope level, GABABR1 immunostaining was commonly found in neuronal cell bodies and dendrites. Many striatal dendritic spines also displayed GABABR1 immunoreactivity. Moreover, GABABR1- immunoreactive axons and axon terminals were frequently encountered. In the striatum, GABABR1- immunoreactive boutons resembled terminals of cortical origin, while in the globus pallidus, subthalamic-like terminals were labelled. Pre-embedding immunogold data showed that postsynaptic GABABR1 receptors are concentrated at extrasynaptic sites on dendrites, spines and somata in the striatopallidal complex, perisynaptically at asymmetric synapses and in the main body of symmetric striatopallidal synapses in the GPe and GPi. Consistent with the immunoperoxidase data, immunoparticles were found in the presynaptic grid of asymmetric synapses established by cortical- and subthalamic-like glutamatergic terminals.

These findings indicate that both GABA and glutamate metabotropic receptors are located to subserve various modulatory functions of the synaptic transmission in the primate striatopallidal complex. Furthermore, their pattern of localisation raises issues about their roles and mechanisms of activation in normal and pathological conditions. Because of their ‘modulatory’ functions, these receptors are ideal targets for chronic drug therapies in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease.

The immunological problems of pig hearts supporting life in human recipients have potentially been solved by transgenic technology. Nevertheless, other problems still remain. Autonomic innervation is important for the control of cardiac dynamics and there is evidence suggesting that some neurons remain intact after transplantation. Previous studies in the human heart have established regional differences in both general autonomic innervation and in its component neural subpopulations. Such studies are lacking in the pig heart. Quantitative immunohistochemical and histochemical techniques were used to demonstrate the pattern of innervation in pig hearts (Sus scrofa). Gradients of immunoreactivity for the general neural marker protein gene product 9.5 were observed both within and between the endocardial, myocardial and epicardial plexuses throughout the 4 cardiac chambers. An extensive ganglionated plexus was observed in the epicardial tissues and, to a lesser extent, in the myocardial tissues. The predominant neural subpopulation displayed acetylcholinesterase activity, throughout the endocardium, myocardium and epicardium. These nerves showed a right to left gradient in density in the endocardial plexus, which was not observed in either the myocardial or epicardial plexuses. A large proportion of nerves in the ganglionated plexus of the atrial epicardial tissues displayed AChE activity, together with their cell bodies. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive nerves were the next most prominent subpopulation throughout the heart. TH-immunoreactive cell bodies were observed in the atrial ganglionated plexuses. Endocardial TH- and NPY-immunoreactive nerves also displayed a right to left gradient in density, whereas in the epicardial tissues they showed a ventricular to atrial gradient. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-immunoreactive nerves were the most abundant peptide-containing subpopulation after those possessing NPY immunoreactivity. They were most abundant in the epicardial tissues of the ventricles. Several important differences were observed between the innervation of the pig heart compared with the human heart. These differences may have implications for the function of donor transgenic pig hearts within human recipients.

To assess the contribution of apoptosis to the mechanism of synovial joint cavitation, and to clarify morphological cellular changes during cavitation, we investigated the development of the rat knee joint by light and electron microscopy, TUNEL methods, and electrophoresis of DNA fragments. Although cavitation occurred within the interzone, which consists of 2 outer and a middle layer termed the intermediate zone, no morphological or biochemical signs of cell death, in particular apoptosis, were seen in the interzone at any embryonic stage. Microscopic and ultrastructural alterations affecting cell differentiation were clearly observed in the interzone, i.e. mesenchymal cells gradually showed elongation, cytoplasmic vacuolation and pyknosis in the intermediate zone where the elongated cells were arranged in parallel in some strata. Some of these cells were further flattened into spindle cells and the number of strata decreased to 2. The rest of the cells were incorporated secondarily into the outer layers, becoming chondroblasts. Collagen fibrils were arranged in a network structure in the outer layers, which obviously differed from the directional pattern parallel to the long axis of elongated cells in the intermediate zone. In addition, the density of collagen fibrils was higher in the outer layers than in the intermediate zone. During cavitation, the initial separation was detected between the elongated cells in the intermediate zone in paraffin sections at E16.5 and the spindle cells in epoxy sections at E18.5. The spindle cells lining the cavity, namely, the surfaces of the epiphysis and meniscus, finally became chondrocytes. The diminution of proteoglycans and collagen fibrils and the synthesis of hyaluronan in the extracellular matrix are now generally believed to be parts of the mechanism for cavitation based on the concept of ‘loss of cohesion’. The microscopic and ultrastructural alterations in the interzone seemed to reflect differences in the arrangement and density of collagen fibrils and the developmental condition of the extracellular matrix between layers. Also it did not seem likely that these alterations inhibit the synthesis of hyaluronan at the presumptive joint line because this synthesis takes place at the plasma membrane. Separation between spindle cells should therefore represent the mechanism for developmentally programmed cavitation. Reorganization of the extracellular matrix is probably necessary for the cellular metamorphoses in the interzone involved in the process of cavitation.

The disposable soma theory suggests that longevity is determined through the setting of longevity assurance mechanisms so as to provide an optimal compromise between investments in somatic maintenance (including stress resistance) and in reproduction. A corollary is that species with low extrinsic mortality are predicted to invest relatively more effort in maintenance, resulting in slower intrinsic ageing, than species with high extrinsic mortality. We tested this prediction in a comparative study of stress resistance in primary skin fibroblasts and confirmed that cells from long-lived species are indeed more resistant to a variant of stressors. A widely studied example of within-species variation in lifespan is the rodent calorie restriction model. Food-restricted animals show elevations in a range of stress response mechanisms, and it has been suggested that this is an outcome of natural selection for life history plasticity. We have developed a theoretical model for dynamic optimisation of the allocation of effort to maintenance and reproduction in response to fluctuations in food availability. The model supports the suggestion that the response to calorie restriction may be an evolutionary adaptation, raising interesting questions about the hierarchy of genetic control of multiple stress response systems. The model identifies ecological factors likely to support such an adaptation that may be relevant in considering the likely relevance of a similar response to calorie restriction in other species. Comparative and theoretical studies support the role of somatic maintenance and stress response systems in controlling the rate of ageing.

Teeth preserve a record of the way they grow in the form of incremental markings in enamel, dentine and cementum. These make it possible to reconstruct cellular activity and the timing of dental development in living and fossil primates, including hominids. They also provide a way of exploring the mechanisms that underlie morphological change during evolution and the nature of the relationship between ontogeny and phylogeny. All living great apes are dentally mature by about 11 y, irrespective of their body mass. While the early period of root formation in living great apes is shorter than in modern humans, enamel takes approximately the same time to form, irrespective of how thick it is. In general, differences in the total time taken to form enamel seem not to be due to differences in the rate at which enamel and dentine are secreted, but rather to faster or slower rates of differentiation of ameloblasts and odontoblasts and therefore to the number of secretory cells active at any one time during tooth formation. Tooth size, especially height, may influence the sequence of appearance of tooth mineralisation stages. The space available in the jaws may also have an influence on both the timing of tooth bud/crypt appearance and the sequence of gingival emergence. When each of these potential influences on dental development are carefully considered, and incremental markings used to calibrate key events, the developing dentition can provide an estimate of the period of dental maturation in fossil hominoids. However, the influence of body mass on the period of dental development among primates remains unclear. The earliest hominoids, dated at around 18 Mya, may still have had modern monkey-like maturational profiles, and the earliest hominids, dated between 1.8 and 3.7 Mya, modern great ape-like maturational profiles. Exactly when the extended or prolonged modern human-like maturational profile first appeared remains debatable, but the most secure suggestion might be at the time of the appearance of the earliest archaic Homo sapiens, when brain size and body mass were finally both within the ranges known for modern humans. But at present we should not reject the hypothesis that an extended, modern human-like, maturational profile arose more than once during human evolution in parallel with an increase in brain size.

The backbone or vertebral column is the defining feature of vertebrates and is clearly metameric. Given that vertebrae arise from segmented paraxial mesoderm in the embryo, this metamerism is not surprising. Fate mapping studies in a variety of species have shown that ventromedial sclerotome cells of the differentiated somite contribute to the developing vertebrae and ribs. Nevertheless, extensive studies in amniote embryos have produced conflicting data on exactly how embryonic segments relate to those of the adult. To date, much attention has focused on the derivatives of the somites, while relatively little is known about the contribution of other tissues to the formation of the vertebral column. In particular, while it is clear that signals from the notochord induce and maintain proliferation of the sclerotome, and later promote chondrogenesis, the role of the notochord in vertebral segmentation has been largely overlooked. Here, we review the established role of the notochord in vertebral development, and suggest an additional role for the notochord in the segmental patterning of the vertebral column.