Pigment Cell Progenitors in Zebrafish Remain Multipotent through Metamorphosis

TY - JOUR

T1 - Pigment Cell Progenitors in Zebrafish Remain Multipotent through Metamorphosis

AU - Singh, Ajeet Pratap

AU - Dinwiddie, April

AU - Mahalwar, Prateek

AU - Schach, Ursula

AU - Linker, Claudia

AU - Irion, Uwe

AU - Nüsslein-Volhard, Christiane

PY - 2016/7/21

Y1 - 2016/7/21

N2 - Summary The neural crest is a transient, multipotent embryonic cell population in vertebrates giving rise to diverse cell types in adults via intermediate progenitors. The in vivo cell-fate potential and lineage segregation of these postembryonic progenitors is poorly understood, and it is unknown if and when the progenitors become fate restricted. We investigate the fate restriction in the neural crest-derived stem cells and intermediate progenitors in zebrafish, which give rise to three distinct adult pigment cell types: melanophores, iridophores, and xanthophores. By inducing clones in sox10-expressing cells, we trace and quantitatively compare the pigment cell progenitors at four stages, from embryogenesis to metamorphosis. At all stages, a large fraction of the progenitors are multipotent. These multipotent progenitors have a high proliferation ability, which diminishes with fate restriction. We suggest that multipotency of the nerve-associated progenitors lasting into metamorphosis may have facilitated the evolution of adult-specific traits in vertebrates.

AB - Summary The neural crest is a transient, multipotent embryonic cell population in vertebrates giving rise to diverse cell types in adults via intermediate progenitors. The in vivo cell-fate potential and lineage segregation of these postembryonic progenitors is poorly understood, and it is unknown if and when the progenitors become fate restricted. We investigate the fate restriction in the neural crest-derived stem cells and intermediate progenitors in zebrafish, which give rise to three distinct adult pigment cell types: melanophores, iridophores, and xanthophores. By inducing clones in sox10-expressing cells, we trace and quantitatively compare the pigment cell progenitors at four stages, from embryogenesis to metamorphosis. At all stages, a large fraction of the progenitors are multipotent. These multipotent progenitors have a high proliferation ability, which diminishes with fate restriction. We suggest that multipotency of the nerve-associated progenitors lasting into metamorphosis may have facilitated the evolution of adult-specific traits in vertebrates.

KW - neural crest

KW - pigment cell

KW - stem cell

KW - peripheral neuron

KW - zebrafish

U2 - 10.1016/j.devcel.2016.06.020

DO - 10.1016/j.devcel.2016.06.020

M3 - Article

SN - 1534-5807

JO - Developmental Cell

JF - Developmental Cell

ER -