title: A homeodomain gene Ptx3 has highly restricted brain expression in mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons.
abstract: The mesencephalic dopaminergic (mesDA) system regulates behavior and movement control and has been implicated in psychiatric and affective disorders. We have identified a bicoid-related homeobox gene, Ptx3, a member of the Ptx-subfamily, that is uniquely expressed in these neurons. Its expression starting at E11.5 in the developing mouse midbrain correlates with the appearance of mesDA neurons. The number of Ptx3-expressing neurons is reduced in Parkinson patients, and these neurons are absent from 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats, an animal model for this disease. Thus, Ptx3 is a unique transcription factor marking the mesDA neurons at the exclusion of other dopaminergic neurons, and it may be involved in developmental determination of this neuronal lineage.
authors.affiliation: Rudolf Magnus Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Medical Pharmacology, Medical Faculty, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Smidt
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: van Schaick
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lanctôt
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Tremblay
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: van der Kleij
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wolterink
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drouin
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Burbach
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D053331:Ectodysplasins; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D053331:Ectodysplasins; C506019:Eda protein, mouse; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D004298:Dopamine