title: Identification of the downstream targets of SIM1 and ARNT2, a pair of transcription factors essential for neuroendocrine cell differentiation.
abstract: SIM1 and ARNT2 are two basic helix-loop-helix/PAS (Per-Arnt-Sim) transcription factors that control the differentiation of neuroendocrine lineages in the mouse hypothalamus. Heterozygous Sim1 mice also develop early onset obesity, possibly due to hypodevelopment of the hypothalamus. Although SIM1 and ARNT2 form heterodimers to direct the same molecular pathway, knowledge of this pathway is limited. To facilitate the identification of their downstream genes, we combined an inducible gene expression system in a neuronal cell line with microarray analysis to screen for their transcriptional targets. This method identified 268 potential target genes of SIM1/ARNT2 that displayed >1.7-fold induced expression. 15 of these genes were subjected to Northern analysis, and a high percentage of them were confirmed to be up-regulated. In vivo, several of these genes showed neuroendocrine hypothalamic expression correlating with that of Sim1. Furthermore, we found that expression of two of these potential targets, the Jak2 and thyroid hormone receptor beta2 genes, was lost in the neuroendocrine hypothalamus of the Sim1 mutant. The expression and predicted functions of many of these genes provide new insight into both the Sim1/Arnt2 action in neuroendocrine hypothalamus development and the molecular basis for the Sim1 haplo-insufficient obesity phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Baltimore, Maryland 21210, USA.
authors.forename: Chunqiao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Goshu
authors.forename: Aynslee
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: Chen-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051784:Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Nuclear Translocator; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D019281:Dimerization; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000494:pharmacology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000166:cytology; D053614:Janus Kinase 2; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000166:cytology*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D037042:Thyroid Hormone Receptors beta / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D051784:Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Nuclear Translocator; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D004318:Doxycycline; D053614:Janus Kinase 2; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D037042:Thyroid Hormone Receptors beta; D014157:Transcription Factors; C099817:Arnt2 protein, mouse; C101750:Sim1 protein, mouse; C507926:Jak2 protein, mouse