The winged-helix transcription factor CWH-3 is expressed in developing neural crest cells.
Neural crest cells are a migratory population that finally give rise to peripheral neurons and numerous other differentiated cell types. We report here that chicken winged-helix 3 (CWH-3), a winged-helix transcription factor, is specifically expressed in the early premigratory and migrating neural crest cells at all axial levels in chick embryos. CWH-3-positive cells first appeared in the neural plate at the early primitive-streak stage when commitment to the neural crest cell fate occurs, and the expression declined after they arrived at their final destinations. These observations suggested that CWH-3 is a determinant for neural crest differentiation at the most dorsal part of the neural tube, reminiscent of HNF-3beta, another winged-helix factor, which determines the ventral part of the neural tube.
National Institute for Basic Biology, and Department of Molecular Biomechanics, Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Okazaki, Japan.
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Yamagata
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Noda
D000818:Animals; D030161:Avian Proteins; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002642:Chick Embryo; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D030161:Avian Proteins; C103222:CWH protein, chicken; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors