Debbache Julien, Parfejevs Vadims, Sommer Lukas
Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, CH-8057, Switzerland.
Genesis. 2018 Jun;56(6-7):e23105. doi: 10.1002/dvg.23105. Epub 2018 Apr 19.
The neural crest is one of the embryonic structures with the broadest developmental potential in vertebrates. Morphologically, neural crest cells emerge during neurulation in the dorsal folds of the neural tube before undergoing an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), delaminating from the neural tube, and migrating to multiple sites in the growing embryo. Neural crest cells generate cell types as diverse as peripheral neurons and glia, melanocytes, and so-called mesectodermal derivatives that include craniofacial bone and cartilage and smooth muscle cells in cardiovascular structures. In mice, the fate of neural crest cells has been determined mainly by means of transgenesis and genome editing technologies. The most frequently used method relies on the Cre-loxP system, in which expression of Cre-recombinase in neural crest cells or their derivatives genetically enables the expression of a Cre-reporter allele, thus permanently marking neural crest-derived cells. Here, we provide an overview of the Cre-driver lines used in the field and discuss to what extent these lines allow precise neural crest stage and lineage-specific fate mapping.
神经嵴是脊椎动物中具有最广泛发育潜能的胚胎结构之一。从形态学上讲，神经嵴细胞在神经管形成过程中于神经管的背侧褶皱处出现，随后经历上皮-间充质转化（EMT），从神经管分层，并迁移到正在发育的胚胎中的多个部位。神经嵴细胞产生多种细胞类型，如外周神经元和神经胶质细胞、黑素细胞，以及所谓的中胚层衍生物，包括颅面骨、软骨和心血管结构中的平滑肌细胞。在小鼠中，神经嵴细胞的命运主要通过转基因和基因组编辑技术来确定。最常用的方法依赖于Cre-loxP系统，其中Cre重组酶在神经嵴细胞或其衍生物中的表达可通过基因手段使Cre报告基因等位基因表达，从而永久标记神经嵴衍生细胞。在这里，我们概述了该领域中使用的Cre驱动系，并讨论了这些品系在多大程度上允许进行精确的神经嵴阶段和谱系特异性命运图谱分析。
