title: The transcription factor Pax6 is required for development of the diencephalic dorsal midline secretory radial glia that form the subcommissural organ.
abstract: During brain development, Pax6 is expressed in specific regions of the diencephalon including secretory cells of the subcommissural organ (SCO), a circumventricular organ at the forebrain-midbrain boundary that originates from the pretectal dorsal midline neuroepithelial cells beneath the posterior commissure (PC). Homozygous small eye (Sey/Sey) mice lack functional Pax6 protein and fail to develop the SCO, a normal PC and the pineal gland. Small eye heterozygotes (Sey/+) show defective development of the SCO's basal processes which normally penetrate the PC, indicating that normal development of the gland requires normal Pax6 gene-dosage. A correlation between the defects of SCO formation and altered R- and OB-cadherin expression patterns in the SCO is observed in mutants suggesting a role for cadherins in SCO development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh Medical School, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, EH8 9XD, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Estivill-Torrús
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vitalis
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fernández-Llebrez
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Price
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005136:Eye Proteins; D018628:Gene Dosage; D006579:Heterozygote; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology*; D006720:Homozygote; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D037102:Lectins / Q000378:metabolism; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000196:embryology; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005136:Eye Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D037102:Lectins; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; C000605732:Pax6 protein, mouse; D012097:Repressor Proteins