Regulation of vertebrate neural cell fate by transcription factors

doi:10.1016/S0959-4388(96)80005-5

Current Opinion in Neurobiology

Volume 6, Issue 1, February 1996, Pages 25-32

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0959-4388(96)80005-5 Get rights and content

Abstract

Evidence that region- and cell-type-specific transcription factors regulate morphogenesis and differentiation of the vertebrate nervous system comes from numerous studies, including descriptions of discrete patterns of expression during neural development and analysis of mutant phenotypes. Recently published works provide insights into the roles of vertebrate transcription factors in regulating the generation of neural precursors, regionalization of the nervous system, and subsequent differentiation of specific cell types within these regions. For instance, misexpression studies in Xenopus embryos show that the newly isolated basic helix-loop-helix protein NeuroD is able to promote neurogenesis, whereas analysis of mouse embryos mutant for the homeobox gene En-1 demonstrates that this transcription factor is required for proper development of the midbrain-hindbrain region. A recent study in chick shows that the combinatorial expression of Islet-1, Lim-1, and two other LIM homeobox genes, Islet-2 and Lim-3, defines subclasses of motor neurons in the spinal cord, supporting a model where combinatorial repertoires of transcription factors may act to generate diverse cell types.

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Regulation of vertebrate neural cell fate by transcription factors

Abstract

Trends Neurosci

Mech Dev

Cell

Nature

Curr Opin Genet Dev

Development

Nature

Cell

Science

Eur J Biochem

J Biol Chem

Genes Dev

Neuron

Curr Top Dev Biol

J Neurobiol

Cell

Science

Science

Cell

Curr Opin Genet Dev

Mech Dev

Curr Opin Genet Dev

Nature

Development

Development

Induction of the Xenopus organizer: expression and regulation of Xnot, a novel FGF and activin-regulated homeobox gene

Genes Dev

Targeted mutation of the murine goosecoid gene results in craniofacial defects and neonatal death

Development

goosecoid is not an essential component of the mouse gastrula organizer but is required for craniofacial and rib development

Development

The winged-helix transcription factor HNF-3 beta is required for notochord development in the mouse embryo

Cell

The homeobox gene goosecoid and the origin of organizer cells in the early chick blastoderm

Cell

Molecular nature of Spemann's organizer: the role of the Xenopus homeobox gene goosecoid

Cell

HNF-3 beta as a regulator of floor plate development

Cell

Regulation of neural induction by the Chd and Bmp-4 antagonistic patterning signals in Xenopus

Nature

Genetic control of cell fate specification in Drosophila peripheral nervous system

Annu Rev Genet

Mechanisms of early neurogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster

J Neurobiol

Two rat homologues of Drosophila achaete-scute specifically expressed in neuronal precursors

Nature

Dynamic expression of the murine Achaete-Scute homologue Mash-1 in the developing nervous system

Mech Dev

XASH1, a Xenopus homolog of achaete-scute: a proneural gene in anterior regions of the vertebrate CNS

Mech Dev

Expression of achaete-scute homolog 3 in Xenopus embryos converts ectodermal cells to a neural fate

Genes Dev