Bioelectric State Transitions Enable De Novo Feather Bud Formation in Developing Skin

This study demonstrates that perturbing calcium signaling can induce the formation of new feather buds in embryonic chicken skin areas that typically do not develop them. The process involves changes in calcium dynamics, bioelectric currents, and the regulation of calcium and potassium channel genes. Different channel perturbations affect the number, distribution, size, and shape of the feather buds. The research highlights the role of developmental bioelectricity as a regulatory layer in tissue patterning, suggesting that it influences the threshold for feather bud formation. This discovery opens new avenues for understanding morphogenesis and tissue patterning.