Thymus-forming potential of the second pharyngeal pouch and its regulation by local mesenchyme in avian embryos
Alcobia et al. explore the thymic potential of non-canonical pharyngeal pouches (PPs) using quail-chick chimeras. They show that 2PP shares thymic potential with canonical 3/4PP and local pharyngeal arch (PA) mesenchyme regulates this potential. Transcriptomic analysis reveals distinct pathways mediating PP-PA interactions, potentially regulating thymus development.