title: EBF factors drive expression of multiple classes of target genes governing neuronal development.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Early B cell factor (EBF) family members are transcription factors known to have important roles in several aspects of vertebrate neurogenesis, including commitment, migration and differentiation. Knowledge of how EBF family members contribute to neurogenesis is limited by a lack of detailed understanding of genes that are transcriptionally regulated by these factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We performed a microarray screen in Xenopus animal caps to search for targets of EBF transcriptional activity, and identified candidate targets with multiple roles, including transcription factors of several classes. We determined that, among the most upregulated candidate genes with expected neuronal functions, most require EBF activity for some or all of their expression, and most have overlapping expression with ebf genes. We also found that the candidate target genes that had the most strongly overlapping expression patterns with ebf genes were predicted to be direct transcriptional targets of EBF transcriptional activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The identification of candidate targets that are transcription factor genes, including nscl-1, emx1 and aml1, improves our understanding of how EBF proteins participate in the hierarchy of transcription control during neuronal development, and suggests novel mechanisms by which EBF activity promotes migration and differentiation. Other candidate targets, including pcdh8 and kcnk5, expand our knowledge of the types of terminal differentiated neuronal functions that EBF proteins regulate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA.
authors.forename: Yangsook S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Monica L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Vetter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008845:Microinjections / Q000379:methods; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009420:Nervous System / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000379:methods; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000235:genetics; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014981:Xenopus; D000099176:Noggin Protein
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D015534:Trans-Activators; D000099176:Noggin Protein; C081976:EBF1 protein, human