Loss of Wnt8b has no overt effect on hippocampus development but leads to altered Wnt gene expression levels in dorsomedial telencephalon.
Wnt signalling proteins regulate many aspects of animal development. We have investigated the function of mouse Wnt8b during forebrain development. Wnt8b is expressed in a highly restricted pattern including the prospective hippocampus and hypothalamus. Mutant mice lacking Wnt8b are viable and healthy. The size and morphology of the hippocampus appeared normal in mutant embryos and adults, and we found no evidence of hypothalamic defects in mutants. Wnt8b is also expressed in the neurogenic region of the adult dentate gyrus, however, cell proliferation was unchanged in Wnt8b(-/-) mutants. Mutant embryos did, however, display altered levels of expression of other Wnt genes normally expressed in forebrain. The spatial expression patterns of other Wnt genes and the overall level of canonical Wnt activity were indistinguishable from wild-types. Thus, loss of Wnt8b does not give rise to an overt morphological phenotype, but does affect expression levels of other Wnts in developing forebrain.
Fotaki
Vassiliki
V
Genes and Development Group, Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK.
Larralde
Osmany
O
Genes and Development Group, Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK.
Zeng
Shaoju
S
Genes and Development Group, Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK.|Key Laboratory for Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Beijing Normal University, China.
McLaughlin
David
D
Genes and Development Group, Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK.
Nichols
Jennifer
J
Institute for Stem Cell Research, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ, UK.
Price
David J
DJ
Genes and Development Group, Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK.
Theil
Thomas
T
Genes and Development Group, Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK.
Mason
John O
JO
Genes and Development Group, Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK.
D000818:Animals; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005838:Genotype; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D009929:Organ Size; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000172:deficiency*
D017931:DNA Primers; D051153:Wnt Proteins; C490603:Wnt8b protein, mouse; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine