Spatiotemporal expression pattern of Myt/NZF family zinc finger transcription factors during mouse nervous system development.
BACKGROUND
Three members of the Myt/NZF family of transcription factors are involved in many processes of vertebrate development. Several studies have reported that Myt1/NZF-2 has a regulatory function in the development of cultured oligodendrocyte progenitors or in neuronal differentiation during Xenopus primary neurogenesis. However, little is known about the proper function of Myt/NZF family proteins during mammalian nervous system development. To assess the possible function of Myt/NZF transcription factors in mammalian neuronal differentiation, we determined the comparative spatial and temporal expression patterns of all three types of Myt/NZF family genes in the embryonic mouse nervous system using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization.


RESULTS
All three Myt/NZF family genes were extensively expressed in developing mouse nervous tissues, and their expression was transient. NZF-1 was expressed later in post-mitotic neurons. NZF-2 was initially expressed in neuronal cells a little earlier than NZF-3. NZF-3 was initially expressed in neuronal cells, just after proliferation was complete.


CONCLUSIONS
These expression patterns suggest that the expression of NZF family genes is spatially and temporally regulated, and each Myt/NZF family gene may have a regulatory function in a specific phase during neuronal differentiation.
Department of Biology, School of Health Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan; Division of Cell Biology, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science (ICMS), Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan.
Fumio
F
Matsushita
Toshiki
T
Kameyama
Yuzo
Y
Kadokawa
Tohru
T
Marunouchi
D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016335:Zinc Fingers
D014157:Transcription Factors
NZF; gene expression; in situ hybridization; neuronal differentiation; qRT-PCR