Conserved regulation of Math5 and Math1 revealed by Math5-GFP transgenes.
Retinal ganglion cell genesis requires the proneural bHLH transcription factor Math5 (Atoh7), but little is known about the regulatory elements that control its expression. Here, we investigate Math5 gene regulation using transgenic mice. These mice express GFP in the prenatal retina, live-labeling RGC axon migration and innervation of the brain. Unexpectedly, these Math5-GFP transgenes are also found in Math1 expression domains throughout the nervous system, intriguing since Math5 and Math1 normally exhibit nonoverlapping expression. Furthermore, Math5-GFP and Math1 are regulated similarly, by both Pax6 and Math1 itself, in the lower rhombic lip and dorsal spinal cord. We also show that Pax6 binds to particular Math5 and Math1 regulatory sequences in vitro. Together these data suggest that these atonal semi-orthologues may share conserved regulatory elements that are normally silent in the Math5 gene.
Hufnagel
Robert B
RB
Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Research Foundation, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
Riesenberg
Amy N
AN
Saul
Sara M
SM
Brown
Nadean L
NL
D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics; D017124:Conserved Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D020439:Growth Cones / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000235:genetics; D050436:Regulatory Elements, Transcriptional / Q000235:genetics; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012249:Rhombencephalon / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection; D019076:Transgenes / Q000235:genetics
D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C500943:Atoh1 protein, mouse; C117638:Atoh7 protein, mouse; C000605732:Pax6 protein, mouse