title: Resolved and open issues in chromaffin cell development.
abstract: Ten years of research within the DFG-funded Collaborative Research Grant SFB 488 at the University of Heidelberg have added many new facets to our understanding of chromaffin cell development. Glucocorticoid signaling is no longer the key for understanding the determination of the chromaffin phenotype, yet a novel role has been attributed to glucocorticoids: they are essential for the postnatal maintenance of adrenal and extra-adrenal chromaffin cells. Transcription factors, as, e.g. MASH1 and Phox2B, have similar, but also distinct functions in chromaffin and sympathetic neuronal development, and BMP-4 not only induces sympathoadrenal (SA) cells at the dorsal aorta and within the adrenal gland, but also promotes chromaffin cell maturation. Chromaffin cells and sympathetic neurons share a common progenitor in the dorsal neural tube (NT) in vivo, as revealed by single cell electroporations into the dorsal NT. Thus, specification of chromaffin cells is likely to occur after cell emigration either during migration or close to colonization of the target regions. Mechanisms underlying the specification of chromaffin cells vs. sympathetic neurons are currently being explored.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Molecular Embryology, University of Freiburg, Albertstr. 17, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany. klaus.unsicker@anat.uni-freiburg.de
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Unsicker
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schober
authors.forename: Chaya
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kalcheim
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019439:Chromaffin Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C065500:ASCL1 protein, human; C525809:BMP4 protein, human; C109220:NBPhox protein