Ectopic expression of the Dlx genes induces glutamic acid decarboxylase and Dlx expression.
The expression of the Dlx homeobox genes is closely associated with neurons that express gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the embryonic rostral forebrain. To test whether the Dlx genes are sufficient to induce some aspects of the phenotype of GABAergic neurons, we adapted the electroporation method to ectopically express DLX proteins in slice cultures of the mouse embryonic cerebral cortex. This approach showed that ectopic expression of Dlx2 and Dlx5 induced the expression of glutamic acid decarboxylases (GADs), the enzymes that synthesize GABA. We also used this method to show cross-regulation between different Dlx family members. We find that Dlx2 can induce Dlx5 expression, and that Dlx1, Dlx2 and Dlx5 can induce expression from a Dlx5/6-lacZ enhancer/"reporter construct.
Stühmer
Thorsten
T
Nina Ireland Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, LPPI, University of California at San Francisco, 401 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143-0984, USA.
Anderson
Stewart A
SA
Ekker
Marc
M
Rubenstein
John L R
JL
D000818:Animals; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000235:genetics*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors
C088334:Distal-less homeobox proteins; C501120:Dlx5 protein, mouse; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase