title: Habenular commissure formation in zebrafish is regulated by the pineal gland-specific gene unc119c.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The zebrafish pineal gland (epiphysis) is a site of melatonin production, contains photoreceptor cells, and functions as a circadian clock pacemaker. Since it is located on the surface of the forebrain, it is accessible for manipulation and, therefore, is a useful model system to analyze pineal gland function and development. We previously analyzed the pineal transcriptome during development and showed that many genes exhibit a highly dynamic expression pattern in the pineal gland.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among genes preferentially expressed in the zebrafish pineal gland, we identified a tissue-specific form of the unc119 gene family, unc119c, which is highly preferentially expressed in the pineal gland during day and night at all stages examined from embryo to adult. When expression of unc119c was inhibited, the formation of the habenular commissure (HC) was specifically compromised. The Unc119c interacting factors Arl3l1 and Arl3l2 as well as Wnt4a also proved indispensible for HC formation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that Unc119c, together with Arl3l1/2, plays an important role in modulating Wnt4a production and secretion during HC formation in the forebrain of the zebrafish embryo.
authors.affiliation: Program in Genomics of Development, NICHD, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Toyama
authors.forename: Mi Ha
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Martha L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rebbert
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gonzales
authors.forename: Harold
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Burgess
authors.forename: Igor B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Dawid
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D000825:Animal Structures / Q000196:embryology*; D000818:Animals; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000502:physiology; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000196:embryology*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
keywords: Zebrafish; epiphysis; habenular commissure; pineal gland; unc119; wnt4