Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 18, 2025

Dissection of Xenopus laevis Neural Crest for in vitro Explant Culture or in vivo Transplantation
09:07

Dissection of Xenopus laevis Neural Crest for in vitro Explant Culture or in vivo Transplantation

Published on: March 4, 2014

13.6K

TWIST1 and chromatin regulatory proteins interact to guide neural crest cell differentiation

Xiaochen Fan1,2, V Pragathi Masamsetti1, Jane Qj Sun1

  • 1Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

Elife
|February 8, 2021
PubMed

Insights

This study identifies a TWIST1-chromatin regulatory module (TWIST1-CRM) crucial for neural crest cell (NCC) development. Its activity levels dictate NCC differentiation and craniofacial patterning, impacting cell fate and migration.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Protein interactions regulate cellular functions and cell fate.
  • Neural crest cells (NCCs) are vital for craniofacial development.
  • TWIST1 is a key transcription factor in developmental processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discover and characterize the TWIST1-chromatin regulatory module (TWIST1-CRM) in NCCs.
  • To elucidate the role of TWIST1-CRM in NCC differentiation and craniofacial patterning.
  • To investigate the functional interplay between TWIST1 and neurocristopathy factors.

Main Methods:

  • TWIST1 BioID-proximity-labeling and network propagation analyses.
  • Combinatorial perturbation of TWIST1-CRM core members (TWIST1, CHD7, CHD8, WHSC1) in cell models and mouse embryos.
  • Analysis of NCC differentiation, migration, and craniofacial tissue patterning.

Main Results:

  • Discovery and characterization of the TWIST1-CRM in NCCs.
  • Loss of TWIST1-CRM function leads to abnormal NCC differentiation and craniofacial defects.
  • Dynamic regulation of TWIST1-CRM activity controls NCC signature stabilization, migration, and ectomesenchyme commitment.
  • Revealed functional interdependency of TWIST1 and neurocristopathy factors in NCC development.

Conclusions:

  • The TWIST1-CRM is essential for proper NCC development and craniofacial patterning.
  • TWIST1-CRM activity levels dynamically regulate NCC fate decisions.
  • Understanding TWIST1-CRM provides insights into neurocristopathies and developmental disorders.
Keywords:
cell biologycraniofacial developmentdevelopmental biologyectomesenchymemouseneural stem cellneurocristopathyneurodevelopmentproteomics

More Related Videos

Analysis of Neural Crest Migration and Differentiation by Cross-species Transplantation09:03

Analysis of Neural Crest Migration and Differentiation by Cross-species Transplantation

Published on: February 7, 2012

23.2K
Isolation and Culture of Neural Crest Cells from Embryonic Murine Neural Tube12:48

Isolation and Culture of Neural Crest Cells from Embryonic Murine Neural Tube

Published on: June 2, 2012

17.7K

Related Concept Videos

Determination01:51

Determination

During embryogenesis, cells become progressively committed to different fates through a two-step process: specification followed by determination. Specification is demonstrated by removing a segment of an early embryo, “neutrally” culturing the tissue in vitro—for example, in a petri dish with simple medium—and then observing the derivatives. If the cultured region gives rise to cell types that it would normally generate in the embryo, this means that it is specified. In...
20.1K
Chromatin Modification in iPS Cells01:32

Chromatin Modification in iPS Cells

Chromatin modification alters gene expression; therefore, scientists can add histone-modifying enzymes, histone variants, and chromatin remodeling complexes to somatic cells to aid reprogramming into pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.
Compact chromatin makes reprogramming difficult. Enzymes, such as histone demethylases and acetyltransferases, are often added during reprogramming to loosen the chromatin, making the DNA more accessible to transcription factors. Molecules that inhibit histone...
2.0K
Master Transcription Regulators02:23

Master Transcription Regulators

Master transcription regulators are regulatory proteins that are predominantly responsible for regulating the expression of multiple genes. Often these genes work in concert to drive a  complex process. Activation of a master transcription regulator can lead to a cascade of transcriptional activation necessary for that outcome. These regulators can directly bind to the regulatory sequences of the various genes involved, or they can indirectly regulate transcription by binding to regulatory...
7.4K
Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming01:24

Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming

Nuclear reprogramming is a process of transforming one cell type into an unrelated cell type by epigenetic changes that alter the cell’s original gene expression pattern. Such epigenetic changes force cells to express a different set of genes, which play a significant role in inducing transformation into other cell types. Nuclear reprogramming offers applications in reproductive cloning for livestock propagation and regenerative medicine — developing patient-specific cells for...
2.0K
Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing02:41

Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing

In eukaryotic cells, nascent mRNA transcripts need to undergo many post-transcriptional modifications to reach the cell cytoplasm and translate into functional proteins. For a long time, transcription and pre-mRNA processing were considered two independent events that occur sequentially in the cell. However, it has now been well established that transcription and pre-mRNA processing are two simultaneous processes that are precisely regulated inside the cell.
The chromatin structure, especially...
7.7K
Inheritance of Chromatin Structures03:17

Inheritance of Chromatin Structures

Epigenetics is the study of inherited changes in a cell's phenotype without changing the DNA sequences. It provides a form of memory for the differential gene expression pattern to maintain cell lineage, position-effect variegation, dosage compensation, and maintenance of chromatin structures such as telomeres and centromeres. For example, the structure and location of the centromere on chromosomes are epigenetically inherited. Its functionality is not dictated or ensured by the underlying...
7.0K