Plasticity and regulatory mechanisms of Hox gene expression in mouse neural crest cells.
In amniotes, the developmental potentials of neural crest cells differ between the cranium and the trunk. These differences may be attributable to the different expression patterns of Hox genes between cranial and trunk neural crest cells. However, little is known about the factors that control Hox genes expression in neural crest cells. The present data demonstrate that retinoic acid (RA) treatment and the activation of Wnt signaling induce Hoxa2 and Hoxd9 expression, respectively, in mouse mesencephalic neural crest cells, which never express Hox genes in vivo. Furthermore, Wnt signaling suppresses the induction of Hoxa2. We also demonstrate that these factors participate in the maintenance of Hoxa2 and Hoxd9 expression in mouse trunk neural crest cells. Our results suggest that RA and Wnt signaling function as environmental factors that regulate the expression of Hoxa2 and Hoxd9 in mouse neural crest cells.
Ishikawa
Shinkichi
S
Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan.
Ito
Kazuo
K
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D051519:Fibroblast Growth Factor 4 / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007641:Keratolytic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000166:cytology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C496446:Fgf4 protein, mouse; D051519:Fibroblast Growth Factor 4; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C489833:Hoxa2 protein, mouse; C490282:Hoxd9 protein, mouse; D007641:Keratolytic Agents; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D014212:Tretinoin