Endochondral Potential of Trunk Neural Crest Cells

神经嵴细胞（NCC）是外胚层来源的干细胞，其分化成丰富的神经干细胞。 衍生物.来自高等脊椎动物的颅骨区域的NCC产生软骨和骨。 躯干NCC在正常发育下不产生骨或软骨，但它们可以是 在体外诱导这样做，或者当实验性移植在特定的骨形成区域时， 头盖骨我们最近已经表明，诱导颅NCC发生在 原肠胚形成，比以前认为的要早得多（Basch et al. 2006）。此外，我们还发现了一个 神经嵴诱导机制独立于中胚层和神经组织。这些结果 偏离当前神经嵴诱导的教条，为NCC提供新的时间框架 发展 这项建议的目的是确定控制软骨形成的分子原则， 的分化潜力。这是脊椎动物发育的关键干细胞。我们建议 通过移植策略挑战躯干NCC的骨和软骨潜力，以证明 诱导的早期信号。然后，我们将测试尾信号（FGF和 Wnt）在躯干和颅骨NCC的软骨形成分化潜能中的作用。

Neural crest cells (NCCs) are ectodermally derived stem cells that differentiate into a wealth of derivatives. NCCs from the cranial region of higher vertebrates generate cartilage and bone. Trunk NCCs don't generate bone or cartilage under normal development, but they can be induced to do so in vitro, or when experimentally grafted in specific bone forming territories of the cranium. We have recently shown that the induction of cranial NCCs occurs during gastrulation, much earlier than previously thought (Basch et al. 2006). Additionally we uncover a neural crest induction mechanism independent of mesodermal and neural tissues. These results depart from current dogmas of neural crest induction and provide a new timeframe for NCCs development. The aim of this proposal is to identify the molecular principles governing the chondrogenic differentiation potential of. this critical stem cell for vertebrate development. We propose to challenge the bone and cartilage potential of trunk NCCs through grafting strategies to prove the role of early signals of induction. Then we will test the effects of caudalizing signals (FGF and Wnt) in the chondrogenic differentiation potential of both trunk and cranial NCC.