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Published January 2012 | public
Journal Article

Neural crest specification: tissues, signals, and transcription factors

Abstract

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.

Additional Information

© 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Issue published online: 14 Dec. 2011. Article first published online: 17 Nov. 2011.

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 17, 2023