Delta signaling mediates segregation of neural crest and spinal sensory neurons from zebrafish lateral neural plate.

We examined the role of Delta signaling in specification of two derivatives in zebrafish neural plate: Rohon-Beard spinal sensory neurons and neural crest. deltaA-expressing Rohon-Beard neurons are intermingled with premigratory neural crest cells in the trunk lateral neural plate. Embryos homozygous for a point mutation in deltaA, or with experimentally reduced delta signalling, have supernumerary Rohon-Beard neurons, reduced trunk-level expression of neural crest markers and lack trunk neural crest derivatives. Fin mesenchyme, a putative trunk neural crest derivative, is present in deltaA mutants, suggesting it segregates from other neural crest derivatives as early as the neural plate stage. Cranial neural crest derivatives are also present in deltaA mutants, revealing a genetic difference in regulation of trunk and cranial neural crest development.