Engrailed, retinotectal targeting, and axonal patterning in the midbrain during Xenopus development: an antisense study.
Axonal tracts in the vertebrate brain seem to respect domains of homeobox gene expression. To test the role of engrailed in tract formation in the midbrain, we inhibited its expression using antisense (AS) oligonucleotides. Phosphorothioate-modified AS oligos caused navigational errors in both the optic projection (OP) and the intertectal commissure (ITC). These oligos, however, also inhibited bFGF binding to the brain. To determine whether these tract phenotypes were due to inhibition of bFGF function or engrailed expression, we used partially phosphorothioate-modified (pp) oligos, which inhibit engrailed expression but do not affect bFGF binding. These ppAS oligos caused the ITC phenotype but had no effect on the OP. Thus, interference with bFGF function correlates with the OP phenotype, while the ITC phenotype is directly related to engrailed expression.
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Department of Biology 0366, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093, USA.
McNeill
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Harris
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D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000196:embryology; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000196:embryology; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000196:embryology; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology*; D000099266:Engrailed 2 Protein
D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D000099266:Engrailed 2 Protein; C081542:En1 protein, Xenopus