XATH-1, a vertebrate homolog of Drosophila atonal, induces a neuronal differentiation within ectodermal progenitors.
XATH-1, a basic/helix-loop-helix transcription factor and a homolog of Drosophila atonal and mammalian MATH-1, is expressed specifically in the dorsal hindbrain during Xenopus neural development. In order to investigate the role of XATH-1 in the neuronal differentiation process, we have examined the effects of XATH-1 overexpression during Xenopus development. XATH-1 induces the expression of neuronal differentiation markers, such as N-tubulin, within the neural plate as well as within nonneural ectodermal progenitor populations, resulting in the appearance of process-bearing neurons within the epidermis. The related basic/helix-loop-helix genes neurogenin-related-1 and neuroD are not induced in response to XATH-1 overexpression within the embryo, suggesting that XATH-1 may activate an alternate pathway of neuronal differentiation. In further contrast to neurogenin-related-1 and neuroD, high-level expression of general neural markers expressed earlier in development, such as N-CAM, is not induced by XATH-1 overexpression. Competent ectodermal progenitors therefore respond to ectopic XATH-1 expression by initiating a distinct program of neuronal differentiation.
Kim
P
P
Department of Developmental Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021, USA.
Helms
A W
AW
Johnson
J E
JE
Zimmerman
K
K
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D004330:Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018257:Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs; D008322:Mammals; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012249:Rhombencephalon / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D014981:Xenopus; D029867:Xenopus Proteins
D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; C107069:ATOH1 protein, Xenopus; C500943:Atoh1 protein, mouse; C491279:NEUROD4 protein, Xenopus; C082142:ato protein, Drosophila