The neural crest are bilaterally paired strips of cells arising in the ectoderm at the margins of the neural tube. These cells migrate to many different locations and differentiate into many cell types within the embryo. This means that many different systems (Neural, skin, teeth, head, face, heart, endocrine, gastrointestinal tract) will have a contribution fron the neural crest cells. General neural development is also covered in Neural Notes.
Beside the spinal cord neural crest cells form the sensory ganglia (dorsal root ganglia). In the head region neural crest cells migrate into the pharyngeal arches (as shown in movie below) and form many different structures.
The gene "lunatic fringe" (Lfng) has been shown as a key molecular regulator of early neural crest differentiation within the neural tube. Within the neural tube it is expressed in three broad bands and mainly in the dorsal neural tube containing the neural crest precursors. Lunatic fringe modifies Notch and inhibits signaling through this pathway. (OMIM - lunatic fringe)
Page Links: Introduction | Some Recent Findings | Reading | Computer Activities | Podcasts | Objectives | Reading | Development Overview | Neural Crest Migration | References | Search PubMed | Glossary | WWW Links
DE Bellard ME, Barembaum M, Arman O, Bronner-Fraser M. Lunatic fringe causes expansion and increased neurogenesis of trunk neural tube and neural crest populations. Neuron Glia Biol. 2007;3(2):93-103.
"...excess lunatic fringe in the neural tube increases the numbers of neural crest cells in the migratory stream via an apparent increase in cell proliferation. In addition, lunatic fringe augments the numbers of neurons and upregulates Delta-1 expression."
Brito JM, Teillet MA, Le Douarin NM. An early role for Sonic hedgehog from foregut endoderm in jaw development: Ensuring neural crest cell survival. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Aug 1;103(31):11607-12. Epub 2006 Jul 25. Hou L, Arnheiter H, Pavan WJ. Interspecies difference in the regulation of melanocyte development by SOX10 and MITF. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 103: 9081-9085
"The results may help to explain how some embryos, such as zebrafish, can achieve rapid pigmentation after fertilization, whereas others, such as mice, become pigmented only several days after birth."
Links: Journals | Online Textbooks | Search Textbooks | PubMed | 1999 Refs | Search PubMed | Glossary
Search NLM Online Textbooks "neural crest" : Endocrinology | Molecular Biology of the Cell | The Cell- A molecular Approach
Reviews
Anderson RB, Newgreen DF, Young HM Neural crest and the development of the enteric nervous system. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2006;589:181-96.
Huang R, Christ B, Patel K. Regulation of scapula development. Anat Embryol (Berl). 2006 Dec;211 Suppl 1:65-71.
Huber K. The sympathoadrenal cell lineage: specification, diversification, and new perspectives. Dev Biol. 2006 Oct 15;298(2):335-43.
Crane JF, Trainor PA. Neural crest stem and progenitor cells. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol. 2006;22:267-86.
Articles Boulais N, Misery L. Merkel cells. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2007 Apr 3 High FA, Zhang M, Proweller A, Tu L, Parmacek MS, Pear WS, Epstein JA. An essential role for Notch in neural crest during cardiovascular development and smooth muscle differentiation. J Clin Invest. 2007 Feb;117(2):353-63.
Brito JM, Teillet MA, Le Douarin NM. An early role for Sonic hedgehog from foregut endoderm in jaw development: Ensuring neural crest cell survival. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Aug 1;103(31):11607-12. Epub 2006 Jul 25. Hou L, Arnheiter H, Pavan WJ. Interspecies difference in the regulation of melanocyte development by SOX10 and MITF. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 103: 9081-9085
Search Mar 2007 "neural crest development" 3,394 reference articles of which 692 were reviews. (More? Neural Crest Reviews References 1998)
Search PubMed: term = neural crest development |
Use the alphabetical list below to find definitions of terms that are new to you or use the Google search window to search UNSW Embryology site.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
Research Labs
University of Michigan Tosney Lab
Stowers Institute Kulesa Lab | Trainor Lab
University College London Mayor Lab
University of Iowa Cornell Lab
Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics Heuckeroth Lab
Home Page
Embryo stages
Fetal Dev
Dev Notes 1
Dev Notes 2
System Notes
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Abnormalities
Stage 13/14
Stage 22
Stage 22 high power
Generation
Migration
Peripheral Ganglia
GIT Enteric
Heart
Molecular
Text only
Web Links
Movies
Audio
News
Class Notes
Serial Images
K12 Students
Abnormal
Histology
Site Map
Glossary
References
Search
School of Med Sci
UNSW Medicine
University of NSW
UNSW Cell Biology
NCBI Books
Dev Biol (Gilbert)
Notes under development (notice removed when complete)
Neural crest cells contribute to many different tissues and systems throughout the entire embryo.
While the cells originate from the ectoderm layer, unlike the neural tube which "pinches off" from the surface ectoderm, the neural crest cells head off on migrations throughout the embryo forming a diverse range of cell types and contributions to different tissues.
This behaviour also means that failure of correct migration or differentiation can lead to a number of different abnormalities.
Please email Dr Mark Hill if you wish to make a comment about this current project.
These selected articles (April 2005) updated when time permits.
Mechanisms and perspectives on differentiation of autonomic neurons. Howard MJ., Dev Biol. 2005 Jan 15;277(2):271-86. Review. "Core of DNA binding proteins required for the development of sympathetic, parasympathetic, and enteric neurons, including Phox2 and MASH1, whose specificity is regulated by the recruitment of additional transcriptional regulators in a subtype-specific manner. For noradrenergic neurons, the basic helix-loop-helix DNA binding protein HAND2 (dHAND) appears to serve this function."
Role of keratinocyte-derived factors involved in regulating the proliferation and differentiation of mammalian epidermal melanocytes. Hirobe T., Pigment Cell Res. 2005 Feb;18(1):2-12. Review. "Recent advances in the techniques of tissue culture and biochemistry have enabled us to clarify factors derived from keratinocytes. Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, adrenocorticotrophic hormone, basic fibroblast growth factor, nerve growth factor, endothelins, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, steel factor, leukemia inhibitory factor and hepatocyte growth factor have been suggested to be the keratinocyte-derived factors and to regulate the proliferation and/or differentiation of mammalian epidermal melanocytes."
Fgf15 is required for proper morphogenesis of the mouse cardiac outflow tract. Vincentz JW, McWhirter JR, Murre C, Baldini A, Furuta Y., Genesis. 2005 Apr;41(4):192-201. "Tbx1, a key regulator of pharyngeal arch development implicated in DiGeorge syndrome. In addition, Fgf15 and Tbx1 do not interact genetically, suggesting that Fgf15 operates through a pathway independent of Tbx1."
Xenopus Id3 is required downstream of Myc for the formation of multipotent neural crest progenitor cells. Light W, Vernon AE, Lasorella A, Iavarone A, Labonne C., Development. 2005 Apr;132(8):1831-1841. Fgf15 is required for proper morphogenesis of the mouse cardiac outflow tract. "show that the small HLH protein Id3 is a Myc target that plays an essential role in the formation and maintenance of neural crest stem cells."