title: A bHLH transcriptional network regulating the specification of retinal ganglion cells.
abstract: In the developing retina, the production of ganglion cells is dependent on the proneural proteins NGN2 and ATH5, whose activities define stages along the pathway converting progenitors into newborn neurons. Crossregulatory interactions between NGN2, ATH5 and HES1 maintain the uncommitted status of ATH5-expressing cells during progenitor patterning, and later on regulate the transition from competence to cell fate commitment. Prior to exiting the cell cycle, a subset of progenitors is selected from the pool of ATH5-expressing cells to go through a crucial step in the acquisition of a definitive retinal ganglion cell fate. The selected cells are those in which the upregulation of NGN2, the downregulation of HES1 and the autostimulation of ATH5 are coordinated with the progression of progenitors through the last cell cycle. This coordinated pattern initiates the transcription of ganglion cell-specific traits and determines the size of the ganglion cell population.
authors.affiliation: University of Lausanne, Eye Hospital Jules Gonin and Institute for Research in Ophthalmology, 15 avenue de France, 1004 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Lidia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Matter-Sadzinski
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Puzianowska-Kuznicka
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ballivet
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Matter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030161:Avian Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D019521:Body Patterning; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016196:S Phase; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D030161:Avian Proteins; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006133:Growth Substances; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors