Control of multipotency in neural crest in health or disease

Stem cells in the embryo can become almost any type of cell, but ultimately decide their fate by communicating with other cells. On this basis, the realization of the multipotency can be individual or collective. In the case of individual multipotency, all individual stem or progenitor cells give rise to similar broad-spectrum progeny with a similar lineage structure. Contrary to this, in the case of collective multipotency, individual precursors make decisions that limit fate at an early stage, although they could take any path, which only covers a part of the spectrum of subsequent fates. In such case, the generation of the full spectrum of downstream fates is achieved through a complex distribution of overlapping and non-overlapping fate constraints within a tribe population. Understanding how cell signals drive the fate of stem cells could influence the treatment of developmental disorders and cancer in children. Neural crest cells (NCC), which primarily contribute to the formation of the face, heart and peripheral nervous system, are highly multipotent and therefore a perfect model system for investigating limitations and decisions of a cell fate. Our preliminary data suggest that cells in the neural crest operate the collective multipotency model, which might be responsible for the robustness of our embryonic development. Here we will examine whether the multipotency of the neural crest works according to the population vs. individual model. Next, we will examine how the flexibility of clonal structures ensures robustness of the development and enables one to withstand stem cell insufficiency in alcohol syndrome or other congenital abnormalities.