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Updated: Jun 24, 2025

Dissection of Xenopus laevis Neural Crest for in vitro Explant Culture or in vivo Transplantation
Published on: March 4, 2014
Actin depolymerizing factor destrin governs cell migration in neural development during Xenopus embryogenesis
Youni Kim1, Hyun-Kyung Lee1, Kyeong-Yeon Park1
1KNU G-LAMP Project Group, KNU Institute of Basic Sciences, BK21 FOUR KNU Creative BioResearch Group, School of Life Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea.
Abstract:
The actin-based cytoskeleton is considered a fundamental driving force for cell differentiation and development. Destrin (Dstn), a member of the actin-depolymerizing factor family, regulates actin dynamics by treadmilling actin filaments and increasing globular actin pools. However, the specific developmental roles of dstn have yet to be fully elucidated. Here, we investigated the physiological functions of dstn during early embryonic development using Xenopus laevis as an experimental model organism. dstn is expressed in anterior neural tissue and neural plate during Xenopus embryogenesis. Depleting dstn promoted morphants with short body axes and small heads. Moreover, dstn inhibition extended the neural plate region, impairing cell migration and distribution during neurulation. In addition to the neural plate, dstn knockdown perturbed neural crest cell migration. Our data suggest new insights for understanding the roles of actin dynamics in embryonic neural development, simultaneously presenting a new challenge for studying the complex networks governing cell migration involving actin dynamics.
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