Regional expression of the Wnt-3 gene in the developing mouse forebrain in relationship to diencephalic neuromeres.
During early vertebrate development, a series of neuromeres divides the central nervous system from the forebrain to the spinal cord. Here we examine in more detail the expression of Wnt-3, a member of the Wnt gene family of secreted proteins, in the developing diencephalon, in comparison to the expression of the homeobox gene Dlx-1. In 9.5-day mouse embryos, Wnt-3 is expressed in a restricted area of the diencephalon before any morphological signs of subdivisions appear. Around embryonic day 11.5, Wnt-3 expression becomes restricted to one of the neuromeres of the diencephalon, the dorsal thalamus. Dlx-1 is expressed in a non-overlapping area immediately anterior to and abutting the Wnt-3 expressing domain, corresponding to the ventral thalamus. In addition, Wnt-3 is expressed in the midbrain-hindbrain region. In the adult mouse, Wnt-3 and Dlx-1 are expressed in subsets of neural cells derived from the original areas of expression in the diencephalon. Taken together, our results suggest that Wnt-3 and Dlx-1 provide positional information for the regional specification of neuromeres in the forebrain. The continued expression of these genes in the adult mouse brain suggests a distinct role in the mature CNS.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford Medical School, Stanford University, CA 94305.
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D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004027:Diencephalon / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005796:Genes / Q000502:physiology*; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains / Q000196:embryology*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011506:Proteins; D012249:Rhombencephalon / Q000378:metabolism; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D060508:Wnt3 Protein
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D060508:Wnt3 Protein; C555508:Wnt3 protein, mouse