Neural crest specification: tissues, signals, and transcription factors

The neural crest is a transient population of multipotent and migratory cells unique to vertebrate embryos. Initially derived from the borders of the neural plate, these cells undergo an epithelial to mesenchymal transition to leave the central nervous system, migrate extensively in the periphery, a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Developmental biology 2012-01, Vol.1 (1), p.52-68
Main Authors: Rogers, C.D., Jayasena, C.S., Nie, S., Bronner, M.E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Bone Morphogenetic Proteins - metabolism
Cancer
Cartilage
Cell fate
Cell migration
Central nervous system
Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly
Embryogenesis
Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
Fibroblast Growth Factors - metabolism
Gene expression
Gene Regulatory Networks
Mesenchyme
Metastases
Neural crest
Neural Crest - metabolism
Neural plate
Neuronal-glial interactions
Signal Transduction
Stem cells
Transcription factors
Transcription Factors - metabolism
Wnt Proteins - metabolism
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Summary:The neural crest is a transient population of multipotent and migratory cells unique to vertebrate embryos. Initially derived from the borders of the neural plate, these cells undergo an epithelial to mesenchymal transition to leave the central nervous system, migrate extensively in the periphery, and differentiate into numerous diverse derivatives. These include but are not limited to craniofacial cartilage, pigment cells, and peripheral neurons and glia. Attractive for their similarities to stem cells and metastatic cancer cells, neural crest cells are a popular model system for studying cell/tissue interactions and signaling factors that influence cell fate decisions and lineage transitions. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms required for neural crest formation in various vertebrate species, focusing on the importance of signaling factors from adjacent tissues and conserved gene regulatory interactions, which are required for induction and specification of the ectodermal tissue that will become neural crest. WIREs Dev Biol 2012, 1:52–68. doi: 10.1002/wdev.8 This article is categorized under: Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Gene Networks and Genomics Signaling Pathways > Cell Fate Signaling Early Embryonic Development > Development to the Basic Body Plan
ISSN:1759-7684
1759-7692
DOI:10.1002/wdev.8