Retinal cell fate determination and bHLH factors.
Retinal development is controlled antagonistically by multiple basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcriptional activators and repressors. bHLH repressors suppress bHLH activators and promote maintenance of progenitors and generation of glial cells. In contrast, bHLH activators override activities of bHLH repressors and promote neuronal differentiation. However, bHLH activators alone are not sufficient but homeodomain factors are additionally required for neuronal subtype specification. It is likely that homeodomain factors regulate the layer specificity but not the neuronal fate while bHLH activators determine the neuronal fate within the homedomain factor-specified layers. Thus, combinations of proper bHLH and homeodomain factors are required for neuronal subtype specification.
Hatakeyama
Jun
J
Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Shogoin-Kawahara, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
Kageyama
Ryoichiro
R
D025042:Amacrine Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology; D018257:Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology*
D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C065500:ASCL1 protein, human; C490289:VSX2 protein, human; C093564:Neurogenic differentiation factor 1