title: Effects of local tissue environment on the differentiation of neural crest cells in turtle, with special reference to understanding the spatial distribution of pigment cells.
abstract: The spatial distribution of neural crest-derived pigment cells in turtles differs markedly from those found in chickens and mice. One hypothesis to explain such differences in the spatial distribution of pigment cells is that local tissue factors interact with neural crest cells, thereby determining their differentiation into pigment-synthesizing cells. It is reported here that local tissue factors in the soft-shell turtle (Trionyx sinensis japonicus) play a critical role in the development of melanophores from neural crest cells during embryogenesis. Undifferentiated neural crest cells derived from trunk neural tubes were co-cultured in vitro with homochronous somites, or with heterochronous dermis, lung or liver for 14 days. Melanophore differentiation from neural crest cells was significantly promoted when co-cultured with cells from lung, somites or dermis, but not when co-cultured with liver cells. These results suggest that local tissue factors stimulate the differentiation of pluripotent neural crest derivatives toward pigment cells. It is proposed that specific environmental cues play an important role in the spatial distribution of pigment cells in a variety of vertebrate species.
authors.affiliation: Biological Institute, Tohoku University, Aoba-yama, Sendai, Japan. lhou8@codon.nih.gov
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D008547:Melanophores / Q000166:cytology*; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology; D019170:Somites; D014426:Turtles / Q000196:embryology