Neural crest cells are the primary innovation that led to evolution of the 
vertebrates, and transcription factors of the SoxE family (Sox8, Sox9 and Sox10) 
are among the central players regulating the development of these cells. In all 
vertebrates examined to date, one or more SoxE proteins are required for the 
formation of neural crest cells, the maintenance of their multipotency, and 
their survival. Later, SoxE proteins drive the formation of multiple neural 
crest derivatives including chondrocytes, melanocytes, and cells of the 
peripheral nervous system, particularly Schwann cells/peripheral glia. Given 
their multiple diverse roles in the development of the neural crest, it is 
important to understand how the activity of SoxE factors is controlled such that 
they direct the correct developmental outcome. While combinatorial control with 
other regulatory factors is clearly one mechanism for generating such functional 
versatility, modulation of SoxE activity, both by SoxD family factors and by 
post-translational modification, also appears to be important. Elucidating the 
mechanisms that control SoxE function is essential to understand the 
evolutionary origin of the vertebrates, as well as a host of SoxE-linked 
syndromes and diseases, and may prove crucial for developing stem cell based 
therapies that target SoxE-regulated cell types.