Identification of neurogenin, a vertebrate neuronal determination gene.
Several bHLH proteins are involved in vertebrate neurogenesis, but those controlling early stages of neuronal determination have not yet been identified. Here we describe a novel, NeuroD-related bHLH protein, NEUROGENIN, whose expression precedes that of NeuroD in both mouse and Xenopus. Expression of Xenopus NEUROGENIN-related-1 (X-NGNR-1) defines the three prospective territories of primary neurogenesis. Overexpression of X-NGNR-1 (or NEUROGENIN) induces ectopic neurogenesis and ectopic expression of XNeuroD mRNA. Endogenous X-ngnr-1 expression becomes restricted to subsets of cells by lateral inhibition, mediated by X-Delta-1 and X-Notch. The properties of X-NGNR-1 are thus analogous to those of the Drosophila proneural genes, suggesting that it functions as a vertebrate neuronal determination factor.
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Division of Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 91125, USA.
Kintner
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Anderson
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D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000737:chemistry; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005809:Genes, Regulator / Q000235:genetics; D018257:Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009420:Nervous System / Q000737:chemistry / Q000196:embryology*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051881:Receptor, Notch1; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014404:Tubulin / Q000235:genetics; D014981:Xenopus / Q000235:genetics; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D000099176:Noggin Protein
D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051881:Receptor, Notch1; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014404:Tubulin; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D000099176:Noggin Protein; C497762:Notch1 protein, mouse; C064045:delta protein; C101907:neurogenin, Xenopus; C093564:Neurogenic differentiation factor 1