Neural Crest Cell Outgrowth Cultures and the Analysis of Cell Migration

The neural crest gives rise to many differentiated cell types including craniofacial connective tissue, peripheral neurons, Schwann cells, various endocrine organs, and pigment cells and it has been extensively studied as a model of cell commitment and lineage diversification (1). However, one of its major features is its suitability as a model for studying morphogenesis (2). It is an excellent example of epitheliumtomesenchyme transition and cell migration, because in the neural crest these events a. are strictly timetabled and routed, b. are of large scale, c. are easy to focus on because they occur when the rest of the body-plan has stabilized, d. are relatively accessible to manipulation, and e. can be replicated with high fidelity in cell culture.