title: The expression of NOTCH2, HES1 and SOX9 during mouse retinal development.
abstract: Notch signaling is an important regulator of both developmental and post-developmental processes. In the developing retina, Notch1 is required for the maintenance of retinal progenitor cells and for inhibiting photoreceptor cell fate, while Notch3 is required for inhibiting ganglion cell fate. Here we used immunolabeling coupled with a knock-in reporter approach to obtain a detailed spatiotemporal expression pattern of Notch2 during mouse retinal development. Although previous in situ hybridization studies did not reveal appreciable levels of Notch2 in the developing retina, we detected NOTCH2 protein and reporter expression in early embryonic retinal progenitors that also expressed the Notch downstream gene, HES1. In the postnatal retina, NOTCH2, as well as the Notch downstream genes, HES1 and SOX9, were detected in VSX2/Cyclin D1/SOX2-expressing cells in the postnatal retina, and in the mature retina NOTCH2 was most abundant in Müller glia. Our findings indicate a potential role for Notch2 in the developing and mature retina.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8W 3N5.
authors.forename: Min-Yan
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gasperowicz
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Chow
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D051883:Receptor, Notch2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012160:Retina / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D055758:SOX9 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D000072056:Transcription Factor HES-1
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D051883:Receptor, Notch2; D055758:SOX9 Transcription Factor; D000072056:Transcription Factor HES-1; C489734:Hes1 protein, mouse; C497765:Notch2 protein, mouse; C527933:Sox9 protein, mouse