Lumbo-sacral neural crest derivatives fate mapped with the aid of Wnt-1 promoter integrate but are not essential to kidney development.
Neural crest (NC) cells may be involved in kidney organogenesis by providing inductive signals and contributing to cells of the renal stroma. We show here that the lumbo-sacral NC cells fate mapped with the aid of Wnt-1 promoter in the mouse migrate close to the metanephros at the initiation of organogenesis but these cells remain superficial to the condensed Pax2-expressing mesenchymal cells. NC-derived cells enter later into the kidney proper from the midline region. The NC cells contribute also to development of the extra-adrenal para-aortic bodies, Zuckerkandl's bodies and the nerve cord of the sympathetic nervous system. Splotch (Sp(2H)/Sp(2H)) embryos, having a NC defect in the lumbo-sacral region, develop a normal metanephros even though the kidney does not express the NC markers Sox10, Phox2b and tyrosine hydroxylase. Consistent with the histological findings, the kidneys of Sp(2H)/Sp(2H) embryos also express the stromal genes Foxd1, Hoxa10 and RARbeta normally. Wnt-1 promoter-marked wild-type LacZ NC cells migrate intensely from the heterologous inducer tissue of the embryonic dorsal spinal cord (SPC) to the kidney mesenchyme, but tubule induction does not depend on NC migration, since the Sp(2H)/Sp(2H) SPC also induces tubulogenesis. The Sp(2H)/Sp(2H) mesenchyme also remains competent for tubulogenesis. We conclude that the NC cells fate mapped with the aid of Wnt-1 promoter migrate to the close to the metanephros and form later derivatives integrating with the kidney, but they may not be essential to the development of the stromal cells nor they may provide critical morphogenetic signals to regulate early kidney development in vivo.
Itäranta
Petri
P
Oulu Center of Cell-Matrix Research, Biocenter Oulu, Laboratory of Developmental Biology and Institute of Biomedicine, University of Oulu, Aapistie 5A, PO Box 5000, FIN-90220 Oulu, Finland.
Viiri
Keijo
K
Kaartinen
Vesa
V
Vainio
Seppo
S
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D051379:Mice; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000166:cytology*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D051155:Wnt1 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D051155:Wnt1 Protein; C495246:Wnt1 protein, mouse