title: Regulatory mechanisms for neural crest formation.
abstract: In early vertebrate development, the neural crest is specified in the embryonic ectoderm at the boundary of the neural plate and the nonneural ectoderm. After the induction, the neural crest cells undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition, delaminating from the epithelium, and migrate extensively in the embryonic environment to give rise to a wide variety of tissues and cell types. In this review, we try to summarize the recent progress in understanding the molecular nature of the inductive signals and transcription factors involved in neural crest formation and following steps of the neural crest development. We also point out the underlying problems that need to be solved to understand the process further.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Neurobiology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wakamatsu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002642:Chick Embryo; D047108:Embryonic Development; D004848:Epithelium / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000196:embryology* / Q000473:pathology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D051153:Wnt Proteins
chemical_list: D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors