Emergence of the sensory nervous system as defined by Foxs1 expression

Peripheral sensory neurons are derived from two distinct structures, the ectodermal placodes and the neural crest. Here, we establish the forkhead family transcription factor Foxs1 as an early sensory neuronal marker. Early embryonic Foxs1 expression was present in all the sensory nervous system regardless of cellular origin, but was not found in other placode and neural crest-derived cell types. Foxs1 expression was turned on in the sensory neuron precursors of the trunk. Consistently, expression of Sox10, that is present in undifferentiated multipotent neural crest cells (NCCs), was mutually exclusive to Foxs1. Acquirement of Foxs1 expression was used to study the emergence of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons. Migrating pioneering Foxs1 expressing NCCs were found at the anterior dorsal somitic lip at the 18-somite stage. These cells showed limited proliferation and migrated to form a cluster in the ventral aspect of the coalescing ganglion, surrounded by Foxs1(-)/Sox10(+) migrating NCCs retaining a high rate of proliferation. Sensory neurogenesis of the Foxs1(-)/Sox10(+) precursors occurred within the condensed DRG starting with neurogenin-1 (Ngn1) and Brn3a expression. These data define a sequential emergence of neuronal precursors of the sensory nervous system with different molecular characteristics, starting during migration and continuing well after DRG condensation.