Transmembrane and intracellular signal transduction during palatal ontogeny.

Investigations of the pathogenesis of cleft palate have been hampered by the complexity of normal craniofacial ontogenesis and by an incomplete understanding of mechanisms involved in normal palate development. This article deals with cellular aspects of the developing craniofacial region and discusses the facts and problems in the field as they relate to the normal development of the secondary palate, with emphasis on the regulation of hormone- and growth factor-induced transmembrane signalling and intracellular signal transduction.