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Abstract
Neural Crest (NC) cells are a multipotent migratory stem cell population unique to vertebrates, which contributes extensively to the formation of a wide array of neural and non-neural structures in the embryo. NC cells originate in the ectoderm at the border of the neural tube, undergo an epithelial-mesenchymal transition and acquire outstanding individual and collective migratory properties that allow them to disseminate and differentiate to different parts of the body. This exquisite capacity to switch from an epithelium to motile cells represents both a puzzling biological issue and an attractive model to address the basic mechanisms of cell migration and their alteration during cancer progression. Here we review how signaling pathways controlled by Rho GTPases, key players in cell adhesion, contraction, migration and polarity, contribute to control the different phases of NC development.
Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest
No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and grants from the Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer (P.F.) and the Fondation pour la Recherche Medicale (FRM/AJE201224) (E.T.).