title: Nkx2-9 is a novel homeobox transcription factor which demarcates ventral domains in the developing mouse CNS.
abstract: Nkx homeobox transcription factors are expressed in diverse embryonic cells and presumably control cell-type specification and morphogenetic events. Nkx2-9 is a novel family member of NK2 genes which lacks the conserved TN-domain found in all hitherto known murine Nkx2 genes. The prominent expression of Nkx2-9 in ventral brain and neural tube structures defines a subset of neuronal cells along the entire neuraxis. During embryonic development, Nkx2-9-expressing cells shift from the presumptive floor plate into a more dorsolateral position of the neuroectoderm and later become limited to the ventricular zone. Nkx2-9 expression overlaps with that of Nkx2-2 but is generally broader. While initially Nkx2-9 is expressed in close proximity to sonic hedgehog, its expression domain clearly segregates from sonic hedgehog at later developmental stages. The dynamic expression pattern of Nkx2-9 in ventral domains of the CNS is consistent with a possible role in the specification of a distinct subset of neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Spielmannstrasse 7, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pabst
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Herbrand
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Arnold
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004707:Endoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D005807:Genes, Overlapping; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D000090322:Homeobox Protein Nkx-2.2; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000378:metabolism; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
chemical_list: D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D000090322:Homeobox Protein Nkx-2.2; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C000715627:Nkx2-2 protein, mouse; C112924:Nkx2-9 protein, mouse; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C000715630:nkx2.2b protein, zebrafish