Pitx3 is required for development of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons.
Dopaminergic (DA) neurons of substantia nigra in the midbrain control voluntary movement, and their degeneration is the cause of Parkinson's disease. The complete set of genes required to specifically determine the development of midbrain DA subgroups is not known yet. We report here that mice lacking the bicoid-related homeoprotein Pitx3 fail to develop DA neurons of the substantia nigra. Other mesencephalic DA neurons of the ventral tegmental area and retrorubral field are unaltered in their dopamine expression and histological organization. These data suggest that Pitx3-dependent gene expression is specifically required for the differentiation of DA progenitors within the mesencephalic DA system.
Nunes
Irene
I
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
Tovmasian
Lucy T
LT
Silva
Robert M
RM
Burke
Robert E
RE
Goff
Stephen P
SP
D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001035:Aphakia / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D006579:Heterozygote; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000254:growth & development*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000032:analysis
D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C433629:homeobox protein PITX3; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004298:Dopamine