Engrailed-2 regulates genes related to vesicle formation and transport in cerebellar Purkinje cells.
Engrailed transcription factors regulate survival, cell fate decisions and axon pathfinding in central neurons. En-2 can also attenuate Purkinje cell (PC) maturation. Here, we use array analysis to scrutinize gene expression in developing PCs overexpressing Engrailed-2 (L7En-2). The majority (70%) of regulated genes was found down-regulated in L7En-2 cerebella, consistent with the known repressive function of Engrailed-2. Differential gene expression, verified by in situ hybridization or Western blotting, was particularly evident during the first postnatal week, when L7En-2 PCs display conspicuous deficits in dendritogenesis. Functional classification revealed clusters of genes linked to vesicle formation and transport. Consistently, Golgi stacks located at the axonal pole of wild type PC somata were rarely detected in L7En-2 PCs. In addition, long continuous stretches of endoplasmic reticulum typically found around the axonal pole of wild type PCs were less frequently observed in transgenic cells. Engrailed-2 might therefore orchestrate PC survival and process formation as a regulator of subcellular organization.
Institute of Anatomy, Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Bonn, Nussallee 10, D-53115 Bonn, Germany.
Martin I
MI
Holst
Christian
C
Maercker
Bogdan
B
Pintea
Marco
M
Masseroli
Christian
C
Liebig
Jakob
J
Jankowski
Andreas
A
Miething
Julia
J
Martini
Beat
B
Schwaller
John
J
Oberdick
Karl
K
Schilling
Stephan L
SL
Baader
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000235:genetics; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D021381:Protein Transport / Q000235:genetics; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D013572:Synaptic Vesicles / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099266:Engrailed 2 Protein
D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000099266:Engrailed 2 Protein