Neural Crest Development and Disease

National Institute Of Dental & Craniofacial Research

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Our recent work has focused on three main aims. First, we have studied early steps of neural crest development in the chicken embryo by using single cell level spatial transcriptomics and scRNAsequencing approaches combined with genotype analysis following knockdown of genes of interest. Our newly published work (Pajanoja et al., Nature Communications, in press) describes, contradicting the dogma of gastrulation, how the ectodermal germ layer maintains activity of the pluripotency gene regulatory network long after gastrulation has ceased, which also allows the neural crest to maintain its exceptionally high, pluripotency-like stem cell potential. Second, we have focused on validating methodology to recapitulate human neural crest development in vitro. These efforts will help us better understand the role of specific genes and molecular events during a certain developmental stage in normal human development as well as in neurocristopathies. Third, our recently published work (Asmar et al, Nature Communications, 2023) uncovers a novel posttranslational pathway that controls cytoskeletal signaling circuits through a ubiquitin switch to coordinate ectodermal patterning and neurulation.