Collective Cell Migration in Neural Crest Development

Abstract The migration of multiple cells as a cooperative unit known as collective cell migration is a common phenomenon in development, cancer and healing. Cooperation can be implemented by physical and/or chemical means and thus happens in epithelial as well as mesenchymal cell populations. Neural crest cells, a highly motile embryonic population, are a well‐known model for epithelial–mesenchymal transition and cell migration. Neural crest cells use various strategies to cooperate and migrate collectively which make them a good model for the study of collectiveness. Further, neural crest cells' interaction with other embryonic populations also relies on cell cooperation, thus providing a model for the study of cell cooperation during organogenesis. Key Concepts Neural crest cells are migratory multipotent stem cells. Neural crest cells distribute according to cell–cell and cell–environment interactions. Some neural crest cell populations migrate collectively. Collectiveness is based on cell–cell cooperation via paracrine chemotaxis and cell–cell adhesion. Collectiveness influences cell guidance. Cooperation takes place at several orders of magnitude: among neural crest cells and between neural crest cells and adjacent cell populations.