The Neural Crest and Neural Crest Cells in Vertebrate Development and Evolution

by Brian K. Hall

A presentation of all aspects of neural crest cell origins (embryological and evolutionary) development and evolution; neural crest cell behavior (migration) and anomalies (neurocristopathies and birth defects) that arise from defective neural crest development. The treatment of development will include discussions of cellular, molecular and genetic aspects of the differentiation and morphogenesis of neural crest cells and structures derived from neural crest cells. The origins of the neural crest in embryology will be discussed using the recent information on the molecular basis of the specification of the neural crest. Also presented are the advances in our understanding of the evolution of jaws from studies on lampreys and of the neural crest from studies on ascidians and amphioxus.

576 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Elisha Pienaar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most compelling section of this book discusses a striking finding: goldfish erythrophoroma cells could initiate multiple differentiation pathways, producing melanin-synthesizing cells, platelets, neurons, osteoblasts (all neural crest cell types), and even lens cells, with individual cell lines functioning as clonal lineages. Remarkably, the reprogramming associated with these new pathways appeared to "switch off" the genes linked to the tumor phenotype, with no evidence of erythrophoroma characteristics remaining.

However, after reviewing Matsumoto's original research and follow-up papers, I found this claim overstated. The reprogrammed cells retained the ability to grow independently in agar without anchorage, a hallmark of carcinogenesis. This suggests the cancerous nature wasn't fully eliminated, only masked or suppressed during differentiation.

Despite this caveat, the book offers a valuable thesis: neural crest derivatives represent a rich source of adult stem cells distributed throughout the body and capable of an impressive range of cell fates. It's a compelling read that pushes the boundaries of our understanding of cellular plasticity.