The metalloproteinase inhibitor Reck is essential for zebrafish DRG development

Abstract

Embryonic development can be viewed as a series of fate choice events in which multipotent cells divide and adopt more specialized function and morphology. The vertebrate neural crest is an example of a multipotent cell population that undergoes this process, ultimately becoming an array of different cell types, including the neurons of the peripheral nervous system. The factors that influence neural crest to make these decisions is still not well-understood. The work presented herein establishes the metalloproteinase inhibitor Reck as a key factor in the development of the dorsal root ganglia, one element of the peripheral nervous system derived from neural crest.