Journal
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
Volume 133, Issue 4, Pages -Publisher
COMPANY BIOLOGISTS LTD
DOI: 10.1242/jcs.235440
Keywords
Connexin 43; Neural crest; Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; Gap junction
Categories
Funding
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) [R01DE024217]
- American Cancer Society [RSG-15-023-01-CSM]
- American Association for Anatomy
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Gap junctions are intercellular channels between cells that facilitate cell-cell communication. Connexin 43 (Cx43; also known as GJA1), the predominant gap junction protein in vertebrates, is expressed in premigratory cranial neural crest cells and is maintained throughout the neural crest cell epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), but its function in these cells is unknown. To this end, we used a combination of in vivo and ex vivo experiments to assess gap junction formation, and Cx43 function, in chick cranial neural crest cells. Our results demonstrate that gap junctions exist between premigratory and migratory cranial neural crest cells and depend on Cx43 for their function. In the embryo, Cx43 knockdown just prior to EMT delays the emergence of Cx43-depleted neural crest cells from the neural tube, but these cells eventually successfully emigrate and join the migratory stream. This delay can be rescued by introduction of full-length Cx43 into Cx43-depleted cells. Furthermore, Cx43 depletion reduces the size of the premigratory neural crest cell domain through an early effect on neural crest cell specification. Collectively, these data identify new roles for Cx43 in chick cranial neural crest cell development.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available