Lbx1 acts as a selector gene in the fate determination of somatosensory and viscerosensory relay neurons in the hindbrain.
Distinct types of relay neurons in the hindbrain process somatosensory or viscerosensory information. How neurons choose between these two fates is unclear. We show here that the homeobox gene Lbx1 is essential for imposing a somatosensory fate on relay neurons in the hindbrain. In Lbx1 mutant mice, viscerosensory relay neurons are specified at the expense of somatosensory relay neurons. Thus Lbx1 expression distinguishes between the somatosensory or viscerosensory fate of relay neurons.
Sieber
Martin A
MA
Department of Neuroscience, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
Storm
Robert
R
Martinez-de-la-Torre
Margaret
M
Müller
Thomas
T
Wende
Hagen
H
Reuter
Katja
K
Vasyutina
Elena
E
Birchmeier
Carmen
C
D000818:Animals; D005801:Genes, Homeobox / Q000502:physiology; D008040:Genetic Linkage / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012249:Rhombencephalon / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D017833:Visceral Afferents / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
C491868:Lbx1h protein, mouse; D009124:Muscle Proteins