RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The Gata3 Transcription Factor Is Required for the Survival of Embryonic and Adult Sympathetic Neurons
JF The Journal of Neuroscience
JO J. Neurosci.
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP 10833
OP 10843
DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0175-10.2010
VO 30
IS 32
A1 Konstantina Tsarovina
A1 Tobias Reiff
A1 Jutta Stubbusch
A1 Dorota Kurek
A1 Frank G. Grosveld
A1 Rosanna Parlato
A1 Günther Schütz
A1 Hermann Rohrer
YR 2010
UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/30/32/10833.abstract
AB The transcription factor Gata3 is essential for the development of sympathetic neurons and adrenal chromaffin cells. As Gata3 expression is maintained up to the adult stage, we addressed its function in differentiated sympathoadrenal cells at embryonic and adult stages by conditional Gata3 elimination. Inactivation of Gata3 in embryonic DBH-expressing neurons elicits a strong reduction in neuron numbers due to apoptotic cell death and reduced proliferation. No selective effect on noradrenergic gene expression (TH and DBH) was observed. Interestingly, Gata3 elimination in DBH-expressing neurons of adult animals also results in a virtually complete loss of sympathetic neurons. In the Gata3-deficient population, the expression of anti-apoptotic genes (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and NFκB) is diminished, whereas the expression of pro-apoptotic genes (Bik, Bok, and Bmf) was increased. The expression of noradrenergic genes (TH and DBH) is not affected. These results demonstrate that Gata3 is continuously required for maintaining survival but not differentiation in the sympathetic neuron lineage up to mature neurons of adult animals.