| First Author | Han X | Year | 2021 |
| Journal | Elife | Volume | 10 |
| PubMed ID | 33482080 | Mgi Jnum | J:300927 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6504079 | Doi | 10.7554/eLife.62387 |
| Citation | Han X, et al. (2021) Runx2-Twist1 interaction coordinates cranial neural crest guidance of soft palate myogenesis. Elife 10:e62387 |
| abstractText | Cranial neural crest (CNC) cells give rise to bone, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments of the vertebrate craniofacial musculoskeletal complex, as well as regulate mesoderm-derived craniofacial muscle development through cell-cell interactions. Using the mouse soft palate as a model, we performed an unbiased single-cell RNA-seq analysis to investigate the heterogeneity and lineage commitment of CNC derivatives during craniofacial muscle development. We show that Runx2, a known osteogenic regulator, is expressed in the CNC-derived perimysial and progenitor populations. Loss of Runx2 in CNC-derivatives results in reduced expression of perimysial markers (Aldh1a2 and Hic1) as well as soft palate muscle defects in Osr2-Cre;Runx2(fl/fl) mice. We further reveal that Runx2 maintains perimysial marker expression through suppressing Twist1, and that myogenesis is restored in Osr2-Cre;Runx2(fl/fl);Twist1(fl/+) mice. Collectively, our findings highlight the roles of Runx2, Twist1, and their interaction in regulating the fate of CNC-derived cells as they guide craniofacial muscle development through cell-cell interactions. |
