scholarly journals A transition from SoxB1 to SoxE transcription factors is essential for progression from pluripotent blastula cells to neural crest cells

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elsy Buitrago-Delgado ◽  
Elizabeth N. Schock ◽  
Kara Nordin ◽  
Carole LaBonne
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Neural Crest ◽  
Es Cells ◽  
Neural Crest Cells ◽  
Stem Cell Population ◽  
Striking Difference ◽  
Neuronal Progenitor ◽  
Hand Off ◽  
Pluripotency Gene ◽  
Vertebrate Embryos

AbstractThe neural crest is a stem cell population unique to vertebrate embryos that gives rise to derivatives from multiple embryonic germ layers. The molecular underpinnings of potency that govern neural crest potential are highly conserved with that of pluripotent blastula stem cells, suggesting that neural crest cells may have evolved through retention of aspects of the pluripotency gene regulatory network (GRN). A striking difference in the regulatory factors utilized in pluripotent blastula cells and neural crest cells is the deployment of different subfamilies of Sox transcription factors; SoxB1 factors play central roles in the pluripotency of naïve blastula and ES cells, whereas neural crest cells require SoxE function. Here we explore the shared and distinct activities of these factors to shed light on the role that this molecular hand-off of Sox factor activity plays in the genesis of neural crest and the lineages derived from it. Our findings provide evidence that SoxB1 and SoxE factors have both overlapping and distinct activities in regulating pluripotency and lineage restriction in the embryo. We hypothesize that SoxE factors may transiently replace SoxB1 factors to control pluripotency in neural crest cells, and then poise these cells to contribute to glial, chondrogenic and melanocyte lineages at stages when SoxB1 factors promote neuronal progenitor formation.

The winged-helix transcription factor FoxD3 is important for establishing the neural crest lineage and repressing melanogenesis in avian embryos

Development ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 128 (8) ◽  
pp. 1467-1479 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Kos ◽  
M.V. Reedy ◽  
R.L. Johnson ◽  
C.A. Erickson
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Neural Crest ◽  
Antisense Oligonucleotides ◽  
Neural Crest Cells ◽  
Winged Helix ◽  
Dorsal Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Crest Development ◽  
Mesenchymal Transformation ◽  
Winged Helix Transcription Factor

The winged-helix or forkhead class of transcription factors has been shown to play important roles in cell specification and lineage segregation. We have cloned the chicken homolog of FoxD3, a member of the winged-helix class of transcription factors, and analyzed its expression. Based on its expression in the dorsal neural tube and in all neural crest lineages except the late-emigrating melanoblasts, we predicted that FoxD3 might be important in the segregation of the neural crest lineage from the neural epithelium, and for repressing melanogenesis in early-migrating neural crest cells. Misexpression of FoxD3 by electroporation in the lateral neural epithelium early in neural crest development produced an expansion of HNK1 immunoreactivity throughout the neural epithelium, although these cells did not undergo an epithelial/mesenchymal transformation. To test whether FoxD3 represses melanogenesis in early migrating neural crest cells, we knocked down expression in cultured neural crest with antisense oligonucleotides and in vivo by treatment with morpholino antisense oligonucleotides. Both experimental approaches resulted in an expansion of the melanoblast lineage, probably at the expense of neuronal and glial lineages. Conversely, persistent expression of FoxD3 in late-migrating neural crest cells using RCAS viruses resulted in the failure of melanoblasts to develop. We suggest that FoxD3 plays two important roles in neural crest development. First, it is involved in the segregation of the neural crest lineage from the neuroepithelium. Second, it represses melanogenesis, thereby allowing other neural crest derivatives to differentiate during the early stages of neural crest patterning.

Common precursors for neural and mesectodermal derivatives in the cephalic neural crest

Development ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 112 (1) ◽  
pp. 301-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Baroffio ◽  
E. Dupin ◽  
N.M. Le Douarin
Keyword(s):  
Neural Crest ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Culture Conditions ◽  
Pigment Cells ◽  
Stem Cell Population ◽  
Multipotent Cells ◽  
Clonal Cultures ◽  
Vertebrate Embryos ◽  
Derivatives Of

The cephalic neural crest (NC) of vertebrate embryos yields a variety of cell types belonging to the neuronal, glial, melanocytic and mesectodermal lineages. Using clonal cultures of quail migrating cephalic NC cells, we demonstrated that neurons and glial cells of the peripheral nervous system can originate from the same progenitors as cartilage, one of the mesectodermal derivatives of the NC. Moreover, we obtained evidence that the migrating cephalic NC contains a few highly multipotent precursors that are common to neurons, glia, cartilage and pigment cells and which we interprete as representative of a stem cell population. In contrast, other NC cells, although provided with identical culture conditions, give rise to clones composed of only one or some of these cell types. These cells thus appear restricted in their developmental potentialities compared to multipotent cells. It is therefore proposed that, in vivo, the active proliferation of pluripotent NC cells during the migration process generates distinct subpopulations of cells that become progressively committed to different developmental fates.

scholarly journals A somatic piRNA pathway regulates epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of chick neural crest cells

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riley Galton ◽  
Katalin Fejes-Toth ◽  
Marianne E. Bronner
Keyword(s):  
Neural Crest ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Neural Crest Cells ◽  
Stem Cell Population ◽  
Small Rna Sequencing ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Sox2 Expression ◽  
Pirna Pathway

AbstractIn the metazoan germline, Piwi proteins play an essential regulatory role in maintenance of stemness and self-renewal by piRNA-mediated repression of transposable elements. To date, the activity of Piwi proteins and the piRNA pathway in vertebrates was believed to be confined to the gonads. Our results reveal expression of Piwil1 in a vertebrate somatic cell type, the neural crest–a migratory embryonic stem cell population. We show that Piwil1 is expressed at low levels throughout chick neural crest development, peaking just before neural crest cells undergo an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition to leave the neural tube and migrate into the periphery. Importantly, loss of Piwil1 impedes neural crest emigration. Small RNA sequencing reveals somatic piRNAs with sequence signatures of an active ping pong loop. Coupled with Piwil1 knockout RNA-seq, our data suggest that Piwil1 regulates expression of the transposon derived gene ERNI in the chick dorsal neural tube, which in turn suppresses Sox2 expression to precisely control the timing of neural crest specification and emigration. Our work provides mechanistic insight into a novel function of the piRNA pathway as a regulator of somatic development in vertebrates.

scholarly journals Supracellular contraction at the rear of neural crest cell groups drives collective chemotaxis

Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 362 (6412) ◽  
pp. 339-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Shellard ◽  
András Szabó ◽  
Xavier Trepat ◽  
Roberto Mayor
Keyword(s):  
Neural Crest ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Neural Crest Cell ◽  
Neural Crest Cells ◽  
Stem Cell Population ◽  
Cell Group ◽  
Cell Groups ◽  
Cell Chemotaxis

Collective cell chemotaxis, the directed migration of cell groups along gradients of soluble chemical cues, underlies various developmental and pathological processes. We use neural crest cells, a migratory embryonic stem cell population whose behavior has been likened to malignant invasion, to study collective chemotaxis in vivo. StudyingXenopusand zebrafish, we have shown that the neural crest exhibits a tensile actomyosin ring at the edge of the migratory cell group that contracts in a supracellular fashion. This contractility is polarized during collective cell chemotaxis: It is inhibited at the front but persists at the rear of the cell cluster. The differential contractility drives directed collective cell migration ex vivo and in vivo through the intercalation of rear cells. Thus, in neural crest cells, collective chemotaxis works by rear-wheel drive.

The role of the non-canonical Wnt–planar cell polarity pathway in neural crest migration

2013 ◽  
Vol 457 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Mayor ◽  
Eric Theveneau
Keyword(s):  
Neural Crest ◽  
Cell Polarity ◽  
Planar Cell Polarity ◽  
Neural Crest Cells ◽  
Contact Inhibition ◽  
Stem Cell Population ◽  
Planar Cell Polarity Pathway ◽  
Canonical Wnt ◽  
Neural Crest Migration

The neural crest is an embryonic stem cell population whose migratory behaviour has been likened to malignant invasion. The neural crest, as does cancer, undergoes an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and migrates to colonize almost all the tissues of the embryo. Neural crest cells exhibit collective cell migration, moving in streams of high directionality. The migratory neural crest streams are kept in shape by the presence of negative signals in their vicinity. The directionality of the migrating neural crest is achieved by contact-dependent cell polarization, in a phenomenon called contact inhibition of locomotion. Two cells experiencing contact inhibition of locomotion move away from each other after collision. However, if the cell density is high only cells exposed to a free edge can migrate away from the cluster leading to the directional migration of the whole group. Recent work performed in chicks, zebrafish and frogs has shown that the non-canonical Wnt–PCP (planar cell polarity) pathway plays a major role in neural crest migration. PCP signalling controls contact inhibition of locomotion between neural crest cells by localizing different PCP proteins at the site of cell contact during collision and locally regulating the activity of Rho GTPases. Upon collision RhoA (ras homologue family member A) is activated, whereas Rac1 is inhibited at the contact between two migrating neural crest cells, leading to the collapse of protrusions and the migration of cells away from one another. The present review summarizes the mechanisms that control neural crest migration and focuses on the role of non-canonical Wnt or PCP signalling in this process.

scholarly journals Mitf-family transcription factor function is required within cranial neural crest cells to promote choroid fissure closure

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie L. Sinagoga ◽  
Alessandra M. Larimer-Picciani ◽  
Stephanie M. George ◽  
Samantha A. Spencer ◽  
James A. Lister ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Neural Crest ◽  
Neural Crest Cells ◽  
Cranial Neural Crest ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Optic Cup ◽  
Summary Statement ◽  
Cranial Neural Crest Cells ◽  
And Function ◽  
Choroid Fissure

AbstractA critical step in eye development is closure of the choroid fissure (CF), a transient structure in the ventral optic cup through which vasculature enters the eye and ganglion cell axons exit. While many factors have been identified that function during CF closure, the molecular and cellular mechanisms mediating this process remain poorly understood. Failure of CF closure results in colobomas. Recently, MITF was shown to be mutated in a subset of human coloboma patients, but how MITF functions during CF closure is unknown. To address this question, zebrafish with mutations in mitfa and tfec, two members of the Mitf-family of transcription factors, were analyzed and their functions during CF closure determined. mitfa;tfec mutants possess severe colobomas and our data demonstrate that Mitf activity is required within cranial neural crest cells (cNCCs) to facilitate CF closure. In the absence of Mitf function, cNCC migration and localization in the optic cup are perturbed. These data shed light on the cellular mechanisms underlying colobomas in patients with MITF mutations and identify a novel role for Mitf function in cNCCs during CF closure.Summary StatementMitf-family transcription factors act within cranial neural crest cells to promote choroid fissure closure. Without Mitf-family function, cNCC localization and function in the CF is disrupted, thus contributing to colobomas.

scholarly journals Transcription factor heterogeneity and epiblast pluripotency

2011 ◽  
Vol 366 (1575) ◽  
pp. 2230-2237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Osorno ◽  
Ian Chambers
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Cell Population ◽  
Es Cells ◽  
Stem Cell Population ◽  
Pluripotent Cell ◽  
Differentiation Potential ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Nanog Expression

Stem cells are defined by the simultaneous possession of the seemingly incongruent properties of self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation potential. To maintain a stem cell population, these opposing forces must be balanced. Transcription factors that function to direct pluripotent cell identity are not all equally distributed throughout the pluripotent cell population. While Oct4 levels are relatively homogeneous, other transcription factors, such as Nanog, are more heterogeneously expressed. Moreover, Oct4 positive cells fluctuate between states of high Nanog expression associated with a high probability of self-renewal and low Nanog expression associated with an increased propensity to differentiate. As embryonic stem (ES) cells transit to the more developmentally advanced epiblast stem cell (EpiSC) state, the levels of pluripotency transcription factors are modulated. Such modulations are blunted in cells that overexpress Nanog and this may underlie the resistance of Nanog-overexpressing cells to transit to an EpiSC state. Interestingly, increasing the levels of Nanog in EpiSC can facilitate reversion to the ES cell state. Together these observations suggest that Nanog lies close to the top of the hierarchy of pluripotent transcription factor regulation.

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