Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 26, 2025

Dissection of Xenopus laevis Neural Crest for in vitro Explant Culture or in vivo Transplantation
Published on: March 4, 2014
RanBP1 plays an essential role in directed migration of neural crest cells during development
Elias H Barriga1, Delan N Alasaadi2, Chiara Mencarelli3
1Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom; Mechanisms of Morphogenesis Lab, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia, Oeiras, 2780-156, Portugal.
Ran-binding protein 1 (RanBP1) is crucial for directed collective cell migration, enabling neural crest cells to move towards external cues. This protein establishes cell polarity, essential for processes like embryonic development and cancer metastasis.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Collective cell migration is vital for embryonic development, tissue repair, and implicated in cancer metastasis.
- External cues guide cell movement by establishing front-to-rear polarity, but underlying pathways are not fully understood.
- Neural crest cells (NC) are a model system for studying collective cell migration during development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular mechanisms regulating directed collective cell migration in neural crest cells.
- To identify key proteins involved in establishing cell polarity during chemotaxis.
- To elucidate the role of nucleocytoplasmic transport pathways in cell migration.
Main Methods:
- Candidate approach using neural crest cells.
- Investigated the function of Ran-binding protein 1 (RanBP1).
- Examined the involvement of the polarity kinase LKB1/PAR4.
Main Results:
- Ran-binding protein 1 (RanBP1) plays an essential role in directed migration of neural crest cells.
- RanBP1 is required for establishing front-to-rear polarity, enabling chemotaxis.
- RanBP1's function in chemotaxis involves the polarity kinase LKB1/PAR4, likely through regulated nuclear export.
Conclusions:
- RanBP1 is a critical regulator of collective cell migration by controlling cell polarity.
- The Ran/RanBP1 pathway facilitates the nuclear export of LKB1, a key step for establishing front-to-rear polarity.
- This mechanism is essential for chemotaxis during neural crest cell collective migration.
More Related Videos
09:33Dissection, Culture and Analysis of Primary Cranial Neural Crest Cells from Mouse for the Study of Neural Crest Cell Delamination and Migration
Published on: October 3, 2019
09:03Analysis of Neural Crest Migration and Differentiation by Cross-species Transplantation
Published on: February 7, 2012
Related Concept Videos
Determination
Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins
Directionality of Nuclear Transport
Gastrulation
Cell Migration
Neurulation