Reciprocal mechanochemical feedback couples neural crest migration and neurulation

Cephalic neurulation and neural crest migration are crucial morphogenetic events in vertebrate head development. While these processes were once thought to be separate and autonomous, emerging evidence suggests they are functionally linked. Researchers have now discovered that these two processes are connected through reciprocal mechanochemical feedback.

The study reveals that collective neural crest migration plays a vital role in neural tube closure. As neural crest cells separate from the surrounding mesoderm, they alter the fibronectin at the interface between the neural crest and neural plate. This alteration results in the formation of a specialized extracellular matrix that not only distinguishes the two tissues but also facilitates neural tube morphogenesis by enabling radial intercalation and apical constriction of neural plate cells.

This extracellular matrix remodeling is made possible by the specific expression of the membrane-bound metalloproteinase MMP14 in neural crest cells. Conversely, the morphogenesis of the neural tube triggers neural crest migration. Mechanical compression resulting from neural plate bending leads to the upregulation of MMP14 in neural crest cells. This triggers extracellular matrix remodeling, which in turn facilitates neural tube closure.

In summary, these findings demonstrate that neurulation and neural crest migration are not independent morphogenetic programs but rather integral components of a self-reinforcing mechanochemical circuit that orchestrates vertebrate head morphogenesis.