title: Brn-3b: a POU domain gene expressed in a subset of retinal ganglion cells.
abstract: A search for POU domain transcription factors in human retina cDNA has led to the identification of Brn-3b, a class IV POU domain protein. Immunohistochemical experiments show that chicken, mouse, rabbit, monkey, and human retinas contain Brn-3b exclusively within a subpopulation of ganglion cells. In the adult mouse brain, Brn-3b is found only within cells in the deep layers of the superior colliculus, in the dorsal periaqueductal gray, and in a small cluster of cells in the brain stem near the area postrema. During the immediate postnatal period, cells containing Brn-3b are distributed in a number of regions within the brain stem and cerebellum. These data suggest that Brn-3b plays a role in determining and/or maintaining the identities of a small number of neurons, including a subset of visual system neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Y W
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Eddy
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Shows
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nathans
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle; D002460:Cell Line; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D015723:Gene Library; D006801:Humans; D006822:Hybrid Cells; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011061:Poly A / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051381:Rats; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D050818:Transcription Factor Brn-3; D050820:Transcription Factor Brn-3B; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D014714:Vertebrates
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C494190:POU4F2 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D050818:Transcription Factor Brn-3; D050820:Transcription Factor Brn-3B; D014157:Transcription Factors; D011061:Poly A; D012313:RNA