Electroporation and in vitro culture of early rabbit embryos.

The functional interrogation of factors underlying early mammalian development is necessary for the understanding and amelioration of human health conditions. The associated article [1] reports on the molecular characterization of markers of neural crest cells in gastrula and neurula stage rabbit embryos. This article presents survival data of rabbit embryos cultured in vitro, as well as immunofluorescence data for molecular markers of neural crest cells following approximately 24-h of culture.

Early specification and development of rabbit neural crest cells.

The phenomenal migratory and differentiation capacity of neural crest cells has been well established across model organisms. While the earliest stages of neural crest development have been investigated in non-mammalian model systems such as Xenopus and Aves, the early specification of this cell population has not been evaluated in mammalian embryos, of which the murine model is the most prevalent. Towards a more comprehensive understanding of mammalian neural crest formation and human comparative studies, we have used the rabbit as a mammalian system for the study of early neural crest specification and development.

Late-emigrating trunk neural crest cells in turtle embryos generate an osteogenic ectomesenchyme in the plastron.

Background: The turtle plastron is composed of a keratinized epidermis overlying nine dermal bones. Its developmental origin has been controversial; recent evidence suggests that the plastral bones derive from trunk neural crest cells (NCCs).

Results: This study extends the observations that there is a turtle-specific, second wave of trunk NCC delamination and migration, after the original NCCs have reached their destination and differentiated.

Analysis of early human neural crest development.

The outstanding migration and differentiation capacities of neural crest cells (NCCs) have fascinated scientists since Wilhelm His described this cell population in 1868. Today, after intense research using vertebrate model organisms, we have gained considerable knowledge regarding the origin, migration and differentiation of NCCs. However, our understanding of NCC development in human embryos remains largely uncharacterized, despite the role the neural crest plays in several human pathologies.

The contribution of neural crest cells to the nuchal bone and plastron of the turtle shell.

The origin of the turtle plastron is not well understood, and these nine bones have been homologized to the exoskeletal components of the clavicles, the interclavicular bone, and gastralia. Earlier data from our laboratory showed that the plastral bone-forming cells stained positively for HNK-1 and PDGFRα, two markers of skeletogenic neural crest cells. We have now shown that the HNK-1(+) cells are also positive for p75 and FoxD3, affirming their neural crest identity.

Evidence that a late-emerging population of trunk neural crest cells forms the plastron bones in the turtle Trachemys scripta.

The origin of the turtle plastron is not known, but these nine bones have been homologized to the exoskeletal components of the clavicles, the interclavicular bone, and gastralia. Earlier evidence from our laboratory showed that the bone-forming cells of the plastron were positive for HNK-1 and PDGFRalpha, two markers of the skeletogenic neural crest. This study looks at the embryonic origin of these plastron-forming cells.