Expression of the homeobox Chick-en gene in chick/quail chimeras with inverted mes-metencephalic grafts

doi:10.1016/0012-1606(90)90312-7

Developmental Biology

Volume 139, Issue 2, June 1990, Pages 432-436

https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-1606(90)90312-7 Get rights and content

Abstract

The homeobox gene Chick-en, sharing homologies to the engrailed gene of Drosophila, is expressed, during early steps of development, in a restricted area of the chick embryo including mes-metencephalic neuroepithelia. The expression of the Chick-en gene has been analyzed in chick/quail chimeric embryos in which a portion of the 2-day-old mes-metencephalic neuroepithelium has been transplanted in an inverted position. By means of a monoclonal antibody, “Mab 4D9,” recognizing engrailed proteins, it is shown that the expression of the Chick-en gene is regulated in the inverted neuroepithelium according to its new position in the host neural tube. The regulation takes place within 20 hr after transplantation. These results, together with previous data demonstrating that the phenotypic expression of the inverted neuroepithelium depends, also, on its new position in the host neural tube, strongly suggest that the engrailed protein could play an important role in the positional specification of the mes-metencephalic neuroepithelium.

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There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

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A similar graft of anterior hindbrain including the MHB from rat or mouse embryos into the chick diencephalon induces ectopic expression of EN1/2 (Martinez et al., 1991). Furthermore, inversion of the mesencephalic alar plate so that the anterior midbrain is now contacting the MHB results in respecification of the anterior midbrain to a posterior fate (Martinez & Alvarado-Mallart, 1990), and inversion of the mesencephalon together with the MHB results in duplication of posterior midbrain structures as a mirror image (Marin & Puelles, 1994). Grafting either quail or mouse MHB into the posterior hindbrain of a chick induces ectopic EN1/2 expression and differentiation of cerebellum (an anterior hindbrain structure) in the host (Martinez, Marin, Nieto, & Puelles, 1995).
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^☆: This work has been carried out while Dr. Salvador Martinez was a recipient of a fellowship from the I.N.S.E.R.M.

¹: Present address: Universidad de Murcia, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Anatomia Humana, Murcia, España.

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Developmental Biology

Abstract

References (12)

Homotopic and heterotopic transplantations of quail tectal primordium in chick embryos: Organization of the retino-tectal projections in the chimeric embryos

Dev. Biol

Pluripotentiality of the 2 day-old avian germinative neuroepithelium

Dev. Biol

Pursuing the functions of vertebrate homeobox genes: progress and aspects

TINS

Expression of engrailed proteins in arthropods, annelids and chordates

Cell

A gene with sequence similarity to “Drosophila engrailed” is expressed during the development of the neural tube and vertebrae in the mouse

Development

Expression of an engrailed-like gene during development of the early embryonic chick nervous system

J. Neurosci. Res

Cited by (96)

Midbrain patterning: polarity formation of the tectum, midbrain regionalization, and isthmus organizer

Organizers in Development

EN2 in Prostate Cancer

Engrailed homeobox transcription factors as potential markers and targets in cancer

Critical role of the embryonic mid-hindbrain organizer in the behavioral response to amphetamine and methylphenidate

Chapter 2 Quail-Chick Transplantations

Brief noteExpression of the homeobox Chick-en gene in chick/quail chimeras with inverted mes-metencephalic grafts☆

Abstract

Dev. Biol

Dev. Biol

TINS

Cell

A gene with sequence similarity to “Drosophila engrailed” is expressed during the development of the neural tube and vertebrae in the mouse

Development

Expression of an engrailed-like gene during development of the early embryonic chick nervous system

J. Neurosci. Res

Brief note
Expression of the homeobox Chick-en gene in chick/quail chimeras with inverted mes-metencephalic grafts☆