The road best traveled: Neural crest migration upon the extracellular matrix

Neural crest cells have the extraordinary task of building much of the vertebrate body plan, including the craniofacial cartilage and skeleton, melanocytes, portions of the heart, and the peripheral nervous system. To execute these developmental programs, stationary premigratory neural crest cells first acquire the capacity to migrate through an extensive process known as the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Once motile, neural crest cells must traverse a complex environment consisting of other cells and the protein-rich extracellular matrix in order to get to their final destinations. Herein, we will highlight some of the main molecular machinery that allow neural crest cells to first exit the neuroepithelium and then later successfully navigate this intricate in vivo milieu. Collectively, these extracellular and intracellular factors mediate the appropriate migration of neural crest cells and allow for the proper development of the vertebrate embryo.