Ventral mesencephalon-enriched genes that regulate the development of dopaminergic neurons in vivo.
Mesodiencephalic dopaminergic (mDA) neurons are critical for movement control and other physiological activities. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying their development are poorly understood. We aimed to establish the expression profiles of genes involved in this process and unravel genetic programs that control late development of mDA neurons. We compared genome-wide gene expression profiles of developing mouse ventral mesencephalon (VM) using microarrays. We identified a set of genes that show spatially and temporally restricted expression in the VM in an Ngn2 (neurogenin 2)-dependent manner and are potentially important for mDA neuron development. Functional analysis on mice lacking the VM-specific gene early B-cell factor 1 (Ebf1) revealed that Ebf1 is essential for the terminal migration of mDA neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Thus, we identified a set of VM-enriched genes that are important for mDA neuron development. Our analysis also provides a genetic framework for further investigation of the molecular mechanisms mediating mDA neuron development.
Yin
Min
M
Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
Liu
Shuxi
S
Yin
Yanqing
Y
Li
Sen
S
Li
Zhihua
Z
Wu
Xuefei
X
Zhang
Bo
B
Ang
Siew-Lan
SL
Ding
Yuqiang
Y
Zhou
Jiawei
J
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics*; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy
D004298:Dopamine