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Cells of the facial compartment arise from four main sources: neural crest stem cells, paraxial mesoderm, epidermis, and endoderm. The nonepithelial tissues in the facial region originate from migratory neural crest stem cells and the paraxial mesoderm (2). Embryonic epidermis and endoderm generate epithelialized structures, including covering tissues, various glands, epithelial compartments of the hair follicles, and teeth (3, 4). The paraxial mesoderm produces progenitors of striated muscles and endothelial cells and forms the vascular tree in the face and the head in general (5, 6). The neural crest, the largest contributor to the developing face, gives rise to cartilage, bone, dentin and pulp of the teeth, dermal papillae of hair follicles, smooth muscles of the vessel walls, ligaments, fascia, adipose tissue, dermis, pericytes in the forebrain, epithelial cells in the ear, pigment cells, peripheral glial cells, subpopulation of sensory neurons in trigeminal ganglia, sympathetic and parasympathetic neurons, and some other cell types found in the head (7).
NC cell-derived structures in the mouse. (A) NCCs are marked with GFP using the knock-in Pax3-GFP transgenic line at E8.5 109. The cranial NC gives rise to the bone (red) and cartilage (blue) of the face as seen by alizarin and alcian staining (B), the cardiac NC contributes to the aorticopulmonary septum and conotruncal cushions of the heart (C), the vagal NC will give rise to the enteric ganglia of the gut (Wnt1CreYFP) (D), and the trunk NC will give rise to neurons, which will contribute to the PNS as seen by TuJ1 immunostaining in an E11.5 embryo (E).
Neural crest stem cells: discovery, properties and potential for therapy - PMC
