The Role of Connexin-43 in Cranial Neural Crest Cell Differentiation

BACKGROUND: Most features of the craniofacial complex that are necessary for feeding derive from cranial neural crest cells (cNCCs). These pluripotent stem cells originate from the dorsal neural folds and undergo a series of coordinated processes such as induction, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration, and differentiation. While most of these processes have been well-studied for their roles in development, much remains to be known about the final step cNCCs must undergo,...