title: Notch pathway regulation of neural crest cell development in vivo.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The function of Notch signaling in murine neural crest-derived cell lineages in vivo was examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Conditional gain (Wnt1Cre;Rosa(Notch)) or loss (Wnt1Cre;RBP-J(f/f)) of Notch signaling in neural crest cells (NCCs) in vivo results in craniofacial, cardiac, and trunk abnormalities. Severe craniofacial malformations are apparent in Wnt1Cre;Rosa(Notch) embryos, while less severe skull abnormalities are evident in Wnt1Cre;RBP-J(f/f) mice. Deficient cardiac neural crest migration, resulting in cardiac outflow tract malformations, occurs with increased or decreased Notch signaling in NCCs. Smooth muscle cell differentiation also is impaired in pharyngeal NCC derivatives in both Wnt1Cre;Rosa(Notch) and Wnt1Cre;RBP-J(f/f) embryos. Neurogenesis is absent and gliogenesis is increased in the dorsal root ganglia of Wnt1Cre;Rosa(Notch) embryos, while neurogenesis is increased and gliogenesis is decreased in Wnt1Cre;RBP-J(f/f) embryos.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Together, these studies demonstrate essential cell-autonomous roles for appropriate levels of Notch signaling during NCC migration, proliferation, and differentiation with critical implications in craniofacial, cardiac, and neurogenic development and disease.
authors.affiliation: The Heart Institute, Division of Molecular Cardiovascular Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Mead
authors.forename: Katherine E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Yutzey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001934:Branchial Region / Q000098:blood supply / Q000196:embryology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000502:physiology; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology*; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051155:Wnt1 Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051880:Receptors, Notch; D051155:Wnt1 Protein; C495246:Wnt1 protein, mouse