# Post-embryonic neural crest-derived progenitors in zebrafish during development and maintenance of adult phenotypes

> **NIH NIH F32** · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · 2022 · $66,490

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Cell fate programs in the embryo are increasingly well understood, but little is known about those that mediate
post-embryonic development. Nevertheless, such programs are essential to the formation of adult phenotypes.
As an animal grows and develops, persisting progenitor cells differentiate to produce new tissues or to
contribute to the expansion of patterns initiated in the larval stages. These post-embryonic progenitor
populations are not well studied, and a focused examination is critical in our efforts to understand how adult
phenotypes arise.
 The neural crest (NC) is an embryonic population of cells uniquely present in vertebrates that gives rise to
a diverse range of cell types. It has proven to be an exceptional model system for investigating cell lineage and
the dynamic controls of cell fate. Whereas much is known about the NC and the roles of NC cells in
embryogenesis, post-embryonic progenitor cells derived from the NC have been far less studied. Prior work in
zebrafish has shown that post-embryonic NC-derived progenitors differentiate into various cell types including
pigment cells and glia. Outstanding questions about these cells concern their anatomical niches, their range of
fates during development and how these fates are specified, and their normal roles and differentiative potential
in adults, particularly in the context of regeneration.
 To address these issues, I have devised a series of experiments in zebrafish. In Aim 1, I will investigate the
role of NC-derived progenitors (NCPs) in larva-to-juvenile fish, focusing primarily on identifying their anatomical
location(s) and fate(s). This work will involve mapping single-cell expression data anatomically to locate
presumptive niches of progenitor populations, as well as single-cell fate mapping in vivo. In Aim 2, I will
examine the role of NCPs in maintenance of the adult form and the potential of these cells in the context of
regeneration using fate mapping and single-cell transcriptomics. The proposed analyses will expand our
knowledge of cell fate programs in post-embryonic NC-derived cells and will support future research in stem
cell therapeutics and regenerative medicine.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10470943
- **Project number:** 5F32HD103332-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Megan Rihab Sayyad
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $66,490
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2023-07-14

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10470943

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10470943, Post-embryonic neural crest-derived progenitors in zebrafish during development and maintenance of adult phenotypes (5F32HD103332-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10470943. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*