title: Migratory neural crest cell αN-catenin impacts chick trigeminal ganglia formation.
abstract: Neural crest cells are an embryonic cell population that is crucial for proper vertebrate development. Initially localized to the dorsal neural folds, premigratory neural crest cells undergo an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and migrate to their final destinations in the developing embryo. Together with epidermally-derived placode cells, neural crest cells then form the cranial sensory ganglia of the peripheral nervous system. Our prior work has shown that αN-catenin, the neural subtype of the adherens junction α-catenin protein, regulates cranial neural crest cell EMT by controlling premigratory neural crest cell cadherin levels. Although αN-catenin down-regulation is critical for initial neural crest cell EMT, a potential role for αN-catenin in later neural crest cell migration, and formation of the cranial ganglia, has not been examined. In this study, we show for the first time that migratory neural crest cells that will give rise to the cranial trigeminal ganglia express αN-catenin and Cadherin-7. αN-catenin loss- and gain-of-function experiments reveal effects on the migratory neural crest cell population that include subsequent defects in trigeminal ganglia assembly. Moreover, αN-catenin perturbation in neural crest cells impacts the placode cell contribution to the trigeminal ganglia and also changes neural crest cell Cadherin-7 levels and localization. Together, these results highlight a novel function for αN-catenin in migratory neural crest cells that form the trigeminal ganglia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, 1405 Animal Sciences Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
authors.forename: Chyong-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, 1405 Animal Sciences Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
authors.forename: Rachel M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hooper
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, 1405 Animal Sciences Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
authors.forename: Kyeong
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, 1405 Animal Sciences Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Electronic address: ltaney@umd.edu.
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Taneyhill
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D002642:Chick Embryo; D018274:Electroporation; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007211:Indoles; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D012668:Trigeminal Ganglion / Q000196:embryology*; D051178:alpha Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; C486820:Ctnna2 protein, mouse; D007211:Indoles; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D051178:alpha Catenin; C007293:DAPI
keywords: Cadherins; Catenins; Neural crest; Placode; Trigeminal ganglia