Pax6 regulates cell adhesion during cortical development.
Pax6 is a member of an evolutionarily conserved family of transcription factors. It is developmentally regulated and is required for the normal embryonic development of the central nervous system, eye and pancreas. Pax6 mutations in the mouse result in the Small eye (Sey) phenotype. Heterozygous mice have eye defects and homozygotes die immediately after birth lacking eyes, nasal cavities and with severe brain abnormalities, including a malformed cerebral cortex. Recent work has established that there are changes in expression of cell adhesion molecules and these may underlie at least a part of the Pax6(Sey/Sey) phenotype. Here we used cell transplants and explant cultures to investigate the role of Pax6 in cell adhesion. Pax6(Sey/Sey) embryonic cortical cells transplanted into wild-type embryonic cortex were observed to segregate from wild-type cells and form dense clusters. Cells migrating from explants of Pax6(Sey/Sey) embryonic cortex clustered to a greater extent than cells migrating from wild-type controls. These new data support the hypothesis that Pax6 exerts a cell-autonomous effect on the adhesiveness of cortical cells.
Tyas
David A
DA
Genes and Development Group, Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK.
Pearson
Helen
H
Rashbass
Penny
P
Price
David J
DJ
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology; D046508:Culture Techniques; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000502:physiology; D005136:Eye Proteins; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008818:Mice, Neurologic Mutants; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D051381:Rats; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D016378:Tissue Transplantation
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; C000605732:Pax6 protein, mouse; C000605733:Pax6 protein, rat; D012097:Repressor Proteins