Schwann Cells in the Ventral Dermis Do Not Derive from Myf5-Expressing Precursors

Abstract

Summary: The embryonic origin of lineage precursors of the trunk dermis is somewhat controversial. Precursor cells traced by Myf5 and Twist2 (Dermo1) promoter activation (i.e., cells of presumed dermomyotomal lineage) have been reported to generate Schwann cells. On the other hand, abundant data demonstrate that dermal Schwann cells derive from the neural crest. This is relevant because dermal precursors give rise to neural lineages, and multilineage differentiation potential qualifies them as adult stem cells. However, it is currently unclear whether neural lineages arise from dedifferentiated Schwann cells instead of mesodermally derived dermal precursor cells. To clarify these discrepancies, we traced SOX2+ adult dermal precursor cells by two independent Myf5 lineage tracing strains. We demonstrate that dermal Schwann cells do not belong to the Myf5+ cell lineage, indicating that previous tracing data reflected aberrant cre recombinase expression and that bona fide Myf5+ dermal precursors cannot transdifferentiate to neural lineages in physiological conditions. : In this article, Izeta, Gutiérrez-Rivera and colleagues solve a controversy regarding how non-neural crest-derived adult dermal precursors are able to commit to peripheral glial fate. Through Myf5+ cell lineage tracing (with two independent strains), in situ localization, and sorting experiments, they demonstrate that aberrant lineage tracing unexpectedly traces dermal Schwann cells. Thus, instead of resident stem/precursor cells, neural-competent cells of adult ventral dermis may just be dedifferentiated Schwann cells. Keywords: dermal stem cell, developmental origin, neural crest, mesoderm, lineage tracing, skin-derived precursors, dedifferentiation, peripheral glia, multilineage differentiation potential, cell fat