title: From classical to current: analyzing peripheral nervous system and spinal cord lineage and fate.
abstract: During vertebrate development, the central (CNS) and peripheral nervous systems (PNS) arise from the neural plate. Cells at the margin of the neural plate give rise to neural crest cells, which migrate extensively throughout the embryo, contributing to the majority of neurons and all of the glia of the PNS. The rest of the neural plate invaginates to form the neural tube, which expands to form the brain and spinal cord. The emergence of molecular cloning techniques and identification of fluorophores like Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), together with transgenic and electroporation technologies, have made it possible to easily visualize the cellular and molecular events in play during nervous system formation. These lineage-tracing techniques have precisely demonstrated the migratory pathways followed by neural crest cells and increased knowledge about their differentiation into PNS derivatives. Similarly, in the spinal cord, lineage-tracing techniques have led to a greater understanding of the regional organization of multiple classes of neural progenitor and post-mitotic neurons along the different axes of the spinal cord and how these distinct classes of neurons assemble into the specific neural circuits required to realize their various functions. Here, we review how both classical and modern lineage and marker analyses have expanded our knowledge of early peripheral nervous system and spinal cord development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, TLSB 3129, 610 Charles E Young Drive East, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA; Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA. Electronic address: butlersj@ucla.edu.
authors.forename: Samantha J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, TLSB 3129, 610 Charles E Young Drive East, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA; Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA. Electronic address: mbronner@caltech.edu.
authors.forename: Marianne E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bronner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002465:Cell Movement; D006801:Humans; D017933:Peripheral Nervous System / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology; D060726:Torso / Q000196:embryology
keywords: Lineage neuronal subtype; Neural crest; Peripheral nervous system; Spinal cord