title: Fate mapping of the mouse midbrain-hindbrain constriction using a site-specific recombination system.
abstract: The mouse midbrain-hindbrain constriction is centrally involved in patterning of the midbrain and anterior hindbrain (cerebellum), as revealed by recent genetic studies using mice and embryological studies in chick (reviewed in [1,2]). This region can act as an organizer region to induce midbrain and cerebellar development. Genes such as Engrailed-1, Pax-2 and Pax-5, which are expressed in the embryonic cells that will form the midbrain and the cerebellum, are required for development of these regions. Fate-mapping experiments at early somite stages in chick have revealed that the cerebellar primordium is located both anterior and posterior to the midbrain-hindbrain constriction, whereas midbrain precursors lie more anteriorly. Fate mapping in mice has been complicated by the inaccessibility of the postimplantation embryo. Here, we report the use of a new in vivo approach involving the Cre-IoxP site-specific recombination system [3] to map the fate of cells in the mouse midbrain-hindbrain constriction. We show that cells originating in the mouse dorsal midbrain-hindbrain constriction during embryonic days 9-12 contribute significantly to the medial cerebellum and colliculi. Our data demonstrate the feasibility of using a recombinase-based lineage-tracing system for fate mapping in the mouse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, University of Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Zinyk
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Mercer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Joyner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics; D007763:Lac Operon; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000196:embryology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011247:Pregnancy; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012249:Rhombencephalon / Q000196:embryology*; D014764:Viral Proteins; D000099266:Engrailed 2 Protein
chemical_list: D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D019426:Integrases; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D000099266:Engrailed 2 Protein; C045073:Cre recombinase