title: The early life of a Schwann cell.
abstract: Schwann cells are the major glial population of the vertebrate peripheral nervous system. In the adult, they build a protecting sheath around neuronal processes and myelinate large-caliber axons. Already early in development, Schwann cells and neurons establish close contacts. Later development and the maintenance of peripheral nerves are crucially dependent on the controlled bi-directional dialogue between these two cell types. Several major phases can be distinguished in the life of a Schwann cell: determination, differentiation, and potentially myelination. The aim of this review is to summarize the molecular and cellular characteristics of the first steps in the life of a Schwann cell, the development from a multipotent neural crest cell to a differentiated Schwann cell.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cell Biology, Department of Biology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH-Hönggerberg, Zurich.
authors.forename: Christian S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lobsiger
authors.forename: Verdon
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Ueli
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Suter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000502:physiology; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*