NRSF/REST is required in vivo for repression of multiple neuronal target genes during embryogenesis.
The neuron-restrictive silencer factor NRSF (also known as REST and XBR) can silence transcription from neuronal promoters in non-neuronal cell lines, but its function during normal development is unknown. In mice, a targeted mutation of Rest, the gene encoding NRSF, caused derepression of neuron-specific tubulin in a subset of non-neural tissues and embryonic lethality. Mosaic inhibition of NRSF in chicken embryos, using a dominant-negative form of NRSF, also caused derepression of neuronal tubulin, as well as of several other neuronal target genes, in both non-neural tissues and central nervous system neuronal progenitors. These results indicate that NRSF is required to repress neuronal gene expression in vivo, in both extra-neural and undifferentiated neural tissue.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 91125, USA.
Z F
ZF
Chen
A J
AJ
Paquette
D J
DJ
Anderson
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009030:Mosaicism; D009154:Mutation; D009420:Nervous System / Q000196:embryology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014404:Tubulin / Q000235:genetics; D016335:Zinc Fingers
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014404:Tubulin