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Snail family genes are required for left-right asymmetry determination, but not neural crest formation, in mice.

ABSTRACT: Snail family genes encode zinc finger transcriptional repressors that are key regulators of epithelial-mesenchymal transitions in vertebrates, including the transitions that generate the mesoderm and neural crest. Here, we show that, contrary to observations in frog and avian embryos, the Snail family genes Snail (Snai1) and Slug (Snai2) are not required for formation and delamination of the neural crest in mice. However, embryos with conditional inactivation of Snai1 function exhibit defects in left-right asymmetry determination. This work demonstrates that although some aspects of Snail family gene function, such as a role in left-right asymmetry determination, appear to be evolutionarily conserved, their role in neural crest cell formation and delamination is not.

SUBMITTER: Murray SA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1502452 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Snail family genes are required for left-right asymmetry determination, but not neural crest formation, in mice.

Murray Stephen A SA Gridley Thomas T

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20060626 27

Snail family genes encode zinc finger transcriptional repressors that are key regulators of epithelial-mesenchymal transitions in vertebrates, including the transitions that generate the mesoderm and neural crest. Here, we show that, contrary to observations in frog and avian embryos, the Snail family genes Snail (Snai1) and Slug (Snai2) are not required for formation and delamination of the neural crest in mice. However, embryos with conditional inactivation of Snai1 function exhibit defects in ...[more]

PMID: 16801545

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