Presence and distribution of neural crest-derived cells in the murine developing thymus and their potential for differentiation.

Neural crest (NC) cells are multipotent cells that can differentiate into melanocytes, neurons, glias and myofibroblasts. They migrate into the fetal thymus on embryonic day (E) 12 in mice and may participate in thymic organogenesis. Although the abnormality of migration and distribution of NC cells in the thymus results in immunodeficiency, the spatial and temporal presence of their progeny cells has not been defined in detail.