Molecular mechanism of neural crest cell proliferation, differentiation and death

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Neural crest cells differentiate into diverse tissue types such as enteric neurons, sympathetic neurons, and melanocytes. Abnormal development of neural crest cells results in Hirschsprung's disease, neuroblastoma, and other anomaly syndrome in newborn. We have identified Ncx which is specifically expressed in neural crest derived cells and searched for its target genes. We found that Nczf, one of the target genes, controls cell proliferation during embryogenesis by negatively regulating p27 expression. Another target gene, Prickle 2, regulates neurite extention in neuroblastoma cell line. Analysis of Ncx target gene network will contribute to the development of new therapeutic methods of neurocristopathy by degenerative medicine using ES or iPS cells.