Foxa2: the rise and fall of dopamine neurons.
Understanding the development and maintenance of dopamine neurons is essential to establish novel stem cell therapies and animal models of Parkinson's disease. A recent PLoS Biology report (Kittappa et al., 2007) reveals that Foxa2 regulates dopamine neuron generation and differentiation, and that aging foxa2(+/-) mice spontaneously develop Parkinsonism.
Arenas
Ernest
E
Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, MBB, Center of Excellence in Developmental Biology, Karolinska Institute, Scheeles vägen 1, plan 2, Retzius building A1, 17 177 Stockholm, Sweden. ernest.arenas@kis.se
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D051542:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-beta / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000235:genetics*
C496502:FOXA2 protein, human; D051542:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-beta; D004298:Dopamine