Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 7, 2026

A Quantitative Cell Migration Assay for Murine Enteric Neural Progenitors

A Quantitative Cell Migration Assay for Murine Enteric Neural Progenitors

Published on: September 18, 2013

A quantitative cell migration assay for murine enteric neural progenitors.

Karl-Frederik Bergeron¹, Tatiana Cardinal, Nicolas Pilon

¹Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Biological Sciences, UQAM.

Journal of Visualized Experiments : Jove

|October 3, 2013

Summary

Neural crest cells (NCCs) are crucial for development, forming neurons and the cranio-facial skeleton. This study quantifies enteric NCC migration using an ex vivo assay, highlighting GDNF/RET signaling

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Untargeted microLC-HRMS/MS for Measuring Endogenous Steroids in Mouse Plasma and Human Serum Samples Applied to Studying Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry·2026

Same author

Morphological evidence suggestive of a hierarchical mode of glial cell diversification and intrinsic developmental plasticity within the murine enteric nervous system.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2025

Same author

Oleate activates PLD2 lipase and GEF activity by modulating membrane microdomain dynamics via S-acylation.

Journal of lipid research·2025

Same author

RFC1 regulates the expansion of neural progenitors in the developing zebrafish cerebellum.

Nature communications·2025

Same author

Brain-Specific Gata4 Downregulation in Greywick Female Mice Models the Metabolic Subtype of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology·2025

Same author

Dietary manipulation of intestinal microbes prolongs survival in a mouse model of Hirschsprung disease.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Neuroscience
Cell Biology

Background:

Neural crest cells (NCCs) are multipotent cells originating from the dorsal neural tube, essential for forming peripheral neurons, glia, melanocytes, and cranio-facial structures.
NCC migration and differentiation are guided by axial origin and extracellular cues, particularly during enteric nervous system (ENS) formation.
The GDNF/RET signaling pathway is critical for enteric NCC colonization of the embryonic gut, with GDNF secreted by the gut mesenchyme attracting RET-expressing NCCs.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and utilize an ex vivo cell migration assay for precise quantification of enteric NCC migration potential.
To investigate the influence of various growth factors, including GDNF, on enteric NCC migration.
To provide a quantitative method for studying enteric NCC colonization dynamics.

More Related Videos

Migration, Chemo-Attraction, and Co-Culture Assays for Human Stem Cell-Derived Endothelial Cells and GABAergic Neurons

Migration, Chemo-Attraction, and Co-Culture Assays for Human Stem Cell-Derived Endothelial Cells and GABAergic Neurons

Published on: January 23, 2020

Analyzing Murine Schwann Cell Development Along Growing Axons

Analyzing Murine Schwann Cell Development Along Growing Axons

Published on: November 21, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 7, 2026

A Quantitative Cell Migration Assay for Murine Enteric Neural Progenitors

A Quantitative Cell Migration Assay for Murine Enteric Neural Progenitors

Published on: September 18, 2013

Migration, Chemo-Attraction, and Co-Culture Assays for Human Stem Cell-Derived Endothelial Cells and GABAergic Neurons

Migration, Chemo-Attraction, and Co-Culture Assays for Human Stem Cell-Derived Endothelial Cells and GABAergic Neurons

Published on: January 23, 2020

Analyzing Murine Schwann Cell Development Along Growing Axons

Analyzing Murine Schwann Cell Development Along Growing Axons

Published on: November 21, 2012

Main Methods:

Development of an ex vivo cell migration assay.
Utilizing a transgenic mouse line with fluorescently labeled NCCs.
Precise quantification of enteric NCC migration in response to growth factors, including GDNF.

Main Results:

The assay allows for precise quantification of enteric NCC migration potential.
The study validates the importance of GDNF in attracting and guiding RET-expressing enteric NCCs.
Demonstrates the utility of the developed assay in studying NCC migration dynamics.

Conclusions:

The described ex vivo assay is a valuable tool for studying enteric NCC migration.
GDNF/RET signaling remains a key pathway in enteric nervous system development.
This quantitative approach facilitates further research into factors influencing NCC colonization.