Contribution of gelsolin and its secretory isoform to the migratory properties of neural crest and DRG cells in the chicken embryo

Gelsolin (GSN) is a well-studied actin-binding protein that plays a crucial role in regulating the actin cytoskeleton. Previously, we showed that GSN mRNA is highly expressed in tissues of ectodermal origin and in neural crest cell (NCC) derivatives, suggesting a possible role for GSN in the development of melanocytes and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Therefore, we explored gelsolin’s role in NCC migration along dorsolateral and dorsoventral pathways using GSN-silencing constructs (sh GSN ) introduced into neural tubes (NTs). Additionally, we identified, for the first time, a secretory isoform of gelsolin (sGSN) in chicken embryos through bioinformatic analysis and neural tube (NT) and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) explant cultures. Using GSN-targeting antibodies to modulate sGSN activity in vitro , we demonstrated sGSN’s contribution to cellular mechanisms that are important for generating components of the PNS from NCCs. Our findings revealed that sGSN is crucial for axonal outgrowth and the migration of Schwann cell precursors (SCPs) from DRG, though it does not affect NCC delamination and early migration from NT. Nonetheless, modulation of sGSN activity affected actin-cytoskeleton dynamics in both NCCs and DRG cells. We believe our studies will help elucidate GSN-mediated mechanisms in proper embryogenesis.