title: Engrailed and tectum development.
abstract: The optic tectum is a visual center of nonmammalian vertebrates derived from the mesencephalon. In this review, function of Engrailed (En) in tectum development is reviewed. En plays crucial roles at three steps of tectum development. First, Engrailed is expressed in the mesencephalon and the metencephalon and essential for the regionalization of the mesencephalon. En is expressed in a gradient of caudal-to-rostral in the tectum primordial, and regulates the rostrocaudal polarity of the tectum. In the advanced stage of tectum development, En is expressed in a lamina-specific manner and it is suggested that En regulates cell migration in the tectal laminar formation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Department of Morphological and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, 910-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Omi
authors.forename: Harukazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*
chemical_list: D018398:Homeodomain Proteins
keywords: Engrailed; laminar formation; optic tectum; regionalization; rostrocaudal polarity