title: The functional specificity of NeuroD is defined by a single amino acid residue (N11) in the basic domain.
abstract: In zebrafish, the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) gene neuroD specifies distinct neurons in the spinal cord. A preliminary experiment indicated that a related bHLH gene, ndr1a, normally expressed only in the olfactory organ in late embryos, also functions as neuroD to induce ectopic formation of spinal cord neurons in early embryos after introduction of its mRNA into early embryos. To define the functional specificity of these bHLH proteins, several mutant forms with selected point mutations in the basic domain were constructed and tested for inducing sensory neurons in the spinal cord. Our data indicate that the functional specificity of NeuroD to define sensory neurons is mainly due to a single residue (asparagine 11) in its basic domain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543.
authors.forename: Xukun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Korzh
authors.forename: Zhiyuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gong
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001216:Asparagine / Q000235:genetics*; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018257:Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs / Q000235:genetics*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D060850:LIM-Homeodomain Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors; D015027:Zebrafish
chemical_list: D001216:Asparagine; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D060850:LIM-Homeodomain Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; C063843:insulin gene enhancer binding protein Isl-1; C093564:Neurogenic differentiation factor 1