title: Xenopus zinc finger transcription factor IA1 (Insm1) expression marks anteroventral noradrenergic neuron progenitors in Xenopus embryos.
abstract: The evolutionarily conserved IA1 (Insm1) gene is strongly expressed in the developing nervous system. Here, we show that IA1 is expressed during Xenopus laevis embryogenesis in neural plate primary neurons as well as in a population of uncharacterized anteroventral cells that form in front of the cement gland and that we identified as noradrenergic neurons. We also show that the formation of those anteroventral cells is dependent on BMPs and inhibited by Notch and that it is regulated by the transcription factors Xash1, Phox2, and Hand2. Finally, we provide functional evidence suggesting that IA1 may also play a role in their formation. Together, our results reveal that IA1 constitutes a novel player downstream of Xash1 in the formation of a previously unidentified population of Xenopus noradrenergic primary neurons.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Embryologie Moléculaire, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Institut de Biologie et de Médecine Moléculaires (IBMM), Gosselies, Belgium.
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Parlier
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ariza
authors.forename: Fotini
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Christulia
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Genco
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vanhomwegen
authors.forename: Sadia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kricha
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Souopgui
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Bellefroid
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009420:Nervous System / Q000196:embryology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology*; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009638:Norepinephrine; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D014157:Transcription Factors; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; C498768:Hand2 protein, Xenopus; C532313:INSM1 protein, Xenopus; C080088:ascl1 protein, Xenopus