title: Tcf7l1 is required for spinal cord progenitor maintenance.
abstract: Neural progenitor cells must be maintained during development in order to produce the full complement of neuronal and glial derivatives. While molecular pathways have been identified that inhibit progenitor differentiation, it is unclear whether the progenitor state itself is actively maintained. In this study, we have investigated the role of Tcf7l1 (formerly named Tcf3) in maintaining spinal progenitor characteristics and allowing the continued production of neurons and glia following primary neurogenesis. We find that spinal cord progenitor markers are progressively lost in embryos lacking Tcf7l1, and that the number of proliferative progenitors decreases accordingly. Furthermore, we show that the production of both neuronal and glial secondary derivatives of the pMN progenitor pool requires Tcf7l1. Together, these results indicate that Tcf7l1 plays an important role in spinal cord progenitor maintenance, indicating that this core function is conserved throughout multiple epithelial cell populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
authors.forename: Hyung-Seok
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Richard I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Dorsky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D019521:Body Patterning; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D058125:Transcription Factor 7-Like 1 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D058125:Transcription Factor 7-Like 1 Protein; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C544914:tcf7l1a protein, zebrafish; C544915:tcf7l1b protein, zebrafish