title: Evolution of vertebrates as viewed from the crest.
abstract: The origin of vertebrates was accompanied by the advent of a novel cell type: the neural crest. Emerging from the central nervous system, these cells migrate to diverse locations and differentiate into numerous derivatives. By coupling morphological and gene regulatory information from vertebrates and other chordates, we describe how addition of the neural-crest-specification program may have enabled cells at the neural plate border to acquire multipotency and migratory ability. Analysis of the topology of the neural crest gene regulatory network can serve as a useful template for understanding vertebrate evolution, including elaboration of neural crest derivatives.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125.
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125.
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simoes-Costa
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125.
authors.forename: Marianne E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bronner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002816:Chordata, Nonvertebrate / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D020440:Gene Duplication / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics