.... To study the molecular basis of neural crest differentiation, we have cloned the gene disrupted in the mont blanc ( mob m610 ) mutation,which affects all neural crest derivatives. Using a positional candidate cloning approach we identified an A to G transition within the 3′ splice site of the sixth intron...

... previously called mont blanc ( mob ) or lockjaw ( low ) encode tfap2a . The mutant phenotype reveals that tfap2a is essential for the development of hindbrain noradrenergic (NA) neurons of the locus coeruleus, medulla and area postrema, as well as for sympathetic NA neurons, epibranchial placode derived...