A cell population in the neural plate border region of embryos of ascidians, the closest relatives of vertebrates, has properties similar to those of the neural crest cells and neuromesodermal cells of vertebrate embryos. The evolutionary origin of these multipotent cells may date back to the common ancestor of vertebrates and ascidians.
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References
Liu, B. & Satou, Y. The genetic program to specify ectodermal cells in ascidian embryos. Dev. Growth Differ. 62, 301–310 (2020). A review that presents the genetic program that specifies ascidian embryonic cells, including NCC-like cells.
Gans, C. & Northcutt, R. G. Neural crest and the origin of vertebrates - a new head. Science 220, 268–273 (1983). A review that presents the ‘new head theory’ for the origin of vertebrates, and highlights the evolutionary role of NCCs.
Hudson, C. & Yasuo, H. Neuromesodermal lineage contribution to CNS development in invertebrate and vertebrate chordates. Genes 12, 592 (2021). A review that presents discussions about cell populations that produce ectodermal and mesodermal cells in ascidian and vertebrate embryos.
Waki, K. et al. Genetic pathways for differentiation of the peripheral nervous system in ascidians. Nat. Commun. 6, 8719 (2015). This paper reports genetic pathways that make two distinct lineages of epidermal sensory neurons of ascidian embryos, which indicates a co-option of the gene circuit that produces neurons.
Abitua, P. B. et al. Identification of a rudimentary neural crest in a non-vertebrate chordate. Nature 492, 104–107 (2012). This paper reports NCC-like cells, which produce melanocytes, of Ciona embryos can be reprogrammed to migratory cells by overexpression of Twist, which encodes a key transcription factor for mesenchyme specification.
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This is a summary of: Ishida, T. & Satou, Y. et al. Ascidian embryonic cells with properties of neural-crest cells and neuromesodermal progenitors of vertebrates. Nat. Ecol. Evol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-024-02387-8 (2024).
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Evolutionary origin of vertebrate neural crest and neuromesodermal cells. Nat Ecol Evol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-024-02388-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-024-02388-7
