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MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF NEURAL CREST FORMATION
The neural crest is a transient population of multipotent precursor cells named for its site of origin at the crest of the closing neural folds in vertebrate embryos. Following neural tube closure, these cells become migratory and populate diverse regions throughout the embryo where they give rise t...
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Published in: | Annual review of cell and developmental biology 1999-01, Vol.15 (1), p.81-112 |
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Main Authors: | , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Citations: | Items that this one cites Items that cite this one |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | The neural crest is a transient population of multipotent precursor cells
named for its site of origin at the crest of the closing neural folds in
vertebrate embryos. Following neural tube closure, these cells become migratory
and populate diverse regions throughout the embryo where they give rise to most
of the neurons and support cells of the peripheral nervous system (PNS),
pigment cells, smooth muscle, craniofacial cartilage, and bone. Because of its
remarkable ability to generate such diverse derivatives, the neural crest has
fascinated developmental biologists for over one hundred years. A great deal
has been learned about the migratory pathways neural crest cells follow and the
signals that may trigger their differentiation, but until recently
comparatively little was known about earlier steps in neural crest development.
In the past few years progress has been made in understanding these earlier
events, including how the precursors of these multipotent cells are specified
in the early embryo and the mechanisms by which they become migratory. In this
review, we first examine the mechanisms underlying neural crest induction,
paying particular attention to a number of growth factor and transcription
factor families that have been implicated in this process. We also discuss when
and how the fate of neural crest precursors may diverge from those of nearby
neural and epidermal populations. Finally, we review recent advances in our
understanding of how neural crest cells become migratory and address the
process of neural crest diversification. |
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ISSN: | 1081-0706 1530-8995 |
DOI: | 10.1146/annurev.cellbio.15.1.81 |