Xenopus zinc finger transcription factor IA1 (Insm1) expression marks anteroventral noradrenergic neuron progenitors in Xenopus embryos.
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.
Parlier
Damien
D
Laboratoire d'Embryologie Moléculaire, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Institut de Biologie et de Médecine Moléculaires (IBMM), Gosselies, Belgium.
Ariza
Ana
A
Christulia
Fotini
F
Genco
Flavio
F
Vanhomwegen
Jessica
J
Kricha
Sadia
S
Souopgui
Jacob
J
Bellefroid
Eric J
EJ
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*
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