The expression and function of MTG/ETO family proteins during neurogenesis.
The proneural basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins promote neurogenesis by inducing changes in gene expression required for neuronal differentiation. Here we characterize one aspect of this differentiation program by analyzing a small family of putative corepressors encoded by MTG genes. We show that MTG genes are expressed sequentially during neurogenesis as cells undergo neuronal differentiation in both the chick spinal cord and in the Xenopus primary nervous system. Using in ovo electroporation, we show that misexpressing wild-type forms of MTG proteins in the developing chick spinal cord does not detectably alter neuronal differentiation. By contrast, the number of differentiated neurons is markedly reduced when a putative dominant-negative mutant of the MTG proteins is expressed in neural precursors in a manner that can be rescued by wild-type MTGR1. Together, these results suggest that MTG family members act downstream of proneural proteins, presumably as corepressors, to promote neuronal differentiation.
Koyano-Nakagawa
Naoko
N
Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. koyano@umn.edu
Kintner
Chris
C
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002642:Chick Embryo; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D005810:Multigene Family; D009154:Mutation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D009420:Nervous System / Q000196:embryology*; D009424:Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D014982:Xenopus laevis
C110408:CBFA2T2 myeloid-transforming gene-related protein; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins