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Updated: Dec 3, 2025

Analysis of Neural Crest Migration and Differentiation by Cross-species Transplantation
Published on: February 7, 2012
From head to tail: regionalization of the neural crest
Manuel Rocha1, Anastasia Beiriger2, Elaine E Kushkowski1
1Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
Abstract:
The neural crest is regionalized along the anteroposterior axis, as demonstrated by foundational lineage-tracing experiments that showed the restricted developmental potential of neural crest cells originating in the head. Here, we explore how recent studies of experimental embryology, genetic circuits and stem cell differentiation have shaped our understanding of the mechanisms that establish axial-specific populations of neural crest cells. Additionally, we evaluate how comparative, anatomical and genomic approaches have informed our current understanding of the evolution of the neural crest and its contribution to the vertebrate body.
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