Deficiency of 14-3-3ε and 14-3-3ζ by the Wnt1 promoter-driven Cre recombinase results in pigmentation defects

BACKGROUND: The seven 14-3-3 protein isoforms bind to numerous proteins and are involved in a wide variety of cellular events, including the cell cycle, cell division, apoptosis and cancer. We previously found the importance of 14-3-3 proteins in neuronal migration of pyramidal neurons in the developing cortex. Here, we test the function of 14-3-3 proteins in the development of neural crest cells in vivo using mouse genetic approaches. RESULTS: We found that 14-3-3 proteins are important for the development of neural crest cells, in particular for the pigmentation of the fur on the ventral region of mice. CONCLUSIONS: Our data obtained from the 14-3-3ε/14-3-3ζ/Wnt1-Cre mice strongly indicate the importance of 14-3-3 proteins in the development of melanocyte lineages.