Foxc2 is required for proper cardiac neural crest cell migration, outflow tract septation, and ventricle expansion

Background: Proper development of the great vessels of the heart, and septation of the cardiac outflow tract requires cardiac neural crest cells. These cells give rise to the parasympathetic cardiac ganglia, the smooth muscle layer of the great vessels, some cardiomyocytes and the conotruncal cushions and aorticopulmonary septum of the outflow tract. Ablation of cardiac neural crest cells results in defective patterning of each of these structures. Previous studies have shown that targeted deletion of the forkhead transcription factor C2 (Foxc2), results in cardiac phenotypes similar to that derived from cardiac neural crest cell ablation.