title: Sox10ER(T2) CreER(T2) mice enable tracing of distinct neural crest cell populations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neural crest cells play an important role in craniofacial morphogenesis and many other developmental processes. The formation of neural crest cells (NCCs) in vivo is a highly dynamic process and remains to be fully understood.
  
  
  RESULTS
  To investigate the spatiotemporal patterning of NCCs in vivo, we have generated Sox10ER(T2) CreER(T2) (SECE) mice, a transgenic line driving inducible Cre expression in NCCs. Inducing Cre activity at different stages triggered reporter expression in distinct NCC populations in SECE; R26R mice. By optimizing the timing and dosage of tamoxifen administration, we controlled Cre expression specifically in cranial NCCs. Using this approach, we demonstrate an important role for PDGFRα in cranial NCCs mitosis within the mandibular processes. Further reducing Cre activity within the cranial NCCs of SECE; R26R embryos revealed that SECE labels preferentially progenitors of medial nasal process (MNP) rather than the lateral nasal process (LNP), before their formation from the frontonasal prominence (FNP).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that NCCs are formed sequentially from rostral to caudal regions along the neural tube. These findings also suggest that NCCs within the FNP become specified regionally and genetically before they divide into MNP and LNP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Fenglei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Soriano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002465:Cell Movement; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D005838:Genotype; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics; D007763:Lac Operon; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000196:embryology* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008938:Mitosis; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000166:cytology*; D054259:Neural Tube; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha / Q000235:genetics; D055757:SOXE Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000737:chemistry; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D055757:SOXE Transcription Factors; C527924:Sox10 protein, mouse; D013629:Tamoxifen; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases
keywords: Cre recombinase; craniofacial development; lineage tracing; neural crest