Article
Genetics & Heredity
Jiao Wang, Zhengke Zhi, Jie Ding, Na Jia, Yuqing Hu, Jiali Cai, Hongxing Li, Jie Tang, Weibing Tang, Xiaohua Mao
Summary: A new study shows that maternal exposure to an environment with dysregulated activation of the PGE2/EP2 pathway during embryonic development may increase the risk of Hirschsprung disease in genetically susceptible offspring. Inhibition of the PGE2/EP2 signaling pathway can alleviate HSCR and promote migration of enteric neural crest cells.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE-JMM
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Eugene C. C. Wong, Philip J. J. Lupo, Tania A. A. Desrosiers, Hazel B. B. Nichols, Susan M. M. Smith, Charles Poole, Mark Canfield, Charles Shumate, Tiffany M. M. Chambers, Jeremy M. M. Schraw, Wendy N. N. Nembhard, Mahsa M. M. Yazdy, Eirini Nestoridi, Amanda E. E. Janitz, Andrew F. F. Olshan
Summary: A cohort study found that children with birth defects originating from neural crest cells (BDNCOs) are more likely to develop embryonal tumors, particularly hepatoblastoma.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zachary T. Olmsted, Janet L. Paluh
Summary: Researchers have successfully studied the co-development of the central and peripheral nervous systems with trunk mesendoderm in elongating multi-lineage organized (EMLO) gastruloids. They identified NCCs that differentiate to form peripheral neurons integrated with an upstream spinal cord region after day 8.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Ruth M. Williams, Martyna Lukoseviciute, Tatjana Sauka-Spengler, Marianne E. Bronner
Summary: This study generates a single-cell atlas of the developing chick epiblast and focuses on the transcriptional changes at the neural plate border. The results reveal the heterogeneity of cells at the neural plate border before early neurulation, suggesting a later onset of lineage segregation compared to previous predictions.
Article
Cell Biology
Rachel L. Belote, Daniel Le, Ashley Maynard, Ursula E. Lang, Adriane Sinclair, Brian K. Lohman, Vicente Planells-Palop, Laurence Baskin, Aaron D. Tward, Spyros Darmanis, Robert L. Judson-Torres
Summary: This study constructed a single-cell transcriptional map of primary human epidermal melanocytes, revealing distinct subpopulations, dedifferentiation patterns associated with melanoma prognosis, and unique cellular origins of acral melanoma. The research identified anatomical site-specific enrichment of melanocyte subpopulations during gestation that persisted into adulthood, as well as transcriptional programs defining melanocyte differentiation in humans differ from model systems. These differentiation patterns can predict melanoma prognosis and response to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Alexander J. Tarashansky, Jacob M. Musser, Margarita Khariton, Pengyang Li, Detlev Arendt, Stephen R. Quake, Bo Wang
Summary: SAMap is a new method that can map cell atlas manifolds across species within phyla, identifying homologous cell types with shared expression programs, even in complex examples where homologous tissues emerge from distinct germ layers.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wen Chen, Xuanyu Liu, Wenke Li, Huayan Shen, Ziyi Zeng, Kunlun Yin, James R. Priest, Zhou Zhou
Summary: The study conducted single-cell transcriptomic sequencing of CNCC-derived cells in mouse hearts, revealing the presence of mural cells and the transition key regulators from pericytes to mVSMCs. Data suggests many CNCC derivatives had already committed or differentiated to a specific lineage when migrating into the heart.
Article
Cell Biology
Apurva Gahankari, Chunmin Dong, Garrett Bartoletti, Maria Galazo, Fenglei He
Summary: The study found that abnormal elevation of Rac1 activity can lead to abnormal development of neural crest cells and have a significant impact on normal brain tissue development. The experimental results showed that enhanced Rac1 activity leads to enlargement of the midbrain, changes in cell density, increased NCCs proliferation rate, and misrouted cell migration.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Tomas J. Steeman, Juan A. Rubiolo, Laura E. Sanchez, Nora B. Calcaterra, Andrea M. J. Weiner
Summary: The neural crest is a multipotent cell population that migrates extensively and differentiates into various tissues in vertebrate embryos. Studies suggest a potential role for microRNA-145 (miR-145) in controlling Sox9b expression during zebrafish chondrocyte differentiation.
Review
Cell Biology
Sharien Fitriasari, Paul A. Trainor
Summary: Craniofacial malformations are common birth defects in humans and have significant functional, aesthetic, and social consequences. Over 700 distinct disorders have been described, but the genetic, environmental, and developmental origins remain unclear. Phenotypic variation seems to be a result of both genetic and non-genetic factors, with environmental factors such as maternal diabetes playing a role in increasing the risk of craniofacial birth defects.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Pediatrics
Zhaorong Huang, Caiyun Luo, Xinwei Hou, Daiyue Yu, Yuqian Su, Xinxin Li, Yinyan Luo, Guoying Liao, Jianhua Mu, Kai Wu
Summary: This study found that m(6)A levels were reduced in the stenotic intestinal tissue of HSCR patients. Knocking down METTL3 in SH-SY5Y and HEK-293T cells inhibited cell proliferation and migration, reduced m(6)A modification levels, and increased YAP expression. Importantly, YAP and METTL3 expression exhibited a negative correlation in both cell lines and HSCR tissue.
PEDIATRIC SURGERY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Cristian L. Marchant, Abdul N. Malmi-Kakkada, Jaime A. Espina, Elias H. Barriga
Summary: Collective cell migration in embryonic tissues is triggered by a mechanosensitive pathway involving Piezo1-mediated microtubule deacetylation, causing cell softening.
Article
Developmental Biology
JiSoo Park, Hao-An Hsiung, Irina Khven, Gioele La Manno, Matthias P. Lutolf
Summary: A self-organizing 3D neural tube organoid model derived from single mouse embryonic stem cells was developed, exhibiting in vivo-like tissue architecture, cell type composition, and anterior-posterior patterning. The maturation of the neural tube organoids revealed the emergence of multipotent neural crest cells and mature neurons. Single-cell transcriptome analyses provided insights into the transcriptional events during neural crest cell emergence and neural differentiation.
Article
Cell Biology
Ammar Alghadeer, Sesha Hanson-Drury, Anjali P. Patni, Devon D. Ehnes, Yan Ting Zhao, Zicong Li, Ashish Phal, Thomas Vincent, Yen C. Lim, Diana O'Day, Cailyn H. Spurrell, Aishwarya A. Gogate, Hai Zhang, Arikketh Devi, Yuliang Wang, Lea Starita, Dan Doherty, Ian A. Glass, Jay Shendure, Benjamin S. Freedman, David Baker, Mary C. Regier, Julie Mathieu, Hannele Ruohola-Baker
Summary: This study utilizes single-cell combinatorial indexing RNA sequencing to establish a census of human tooth development, revealing regulatory mechanisms controlling the differentiation process of ameloblasts. The findings are validated through in vitro and in vivo experiments, providing a foundation for future research in regenerative dentistry.
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2023)
Article
Biology
Alexandre P. Thiery, Ailin Leticia Buzzi, Eva Hamrud, Chris Cheshire, Nicholas M. Luscombe, James Briscoe, Andrea Streit
Summary: The vertebrate neural plate border is a transient territory that contains precursors for all ectodermal derivatives. Through single cell RNA sequencing, this study explores the diversity and heterogeneity of cells in the neural plate border and reveals the dynamic expression patterns and fate enrichment of genes previously classified as neural plate border specifiers. Furthermore, the study suggests that individual cells in the neural plate border co-express competing transcriptional programs, indicating their undecided fate.