title: LIM homeobox protein 5 (Lhx5) is essential for mamillary body development.
abstract: The mamillary body (MM) is a group of hypothalamic nuclei related to memory and spatial navigation that interconnects hippocampal, thalamic, and tegmental regions. Here we demonstrate that Lhx5, a LIM-HD domain transcription factor expressed early in the developing posterior hypothalamus, is required for the generation of the MM and its derived tracts. The MM markers Foxb1, Sim2, and Lhx1 are absent in Lhx5 knock-out mice from early embryonic stages, suggesting abnormal specification of this region. This was supported by the absence of Nkx2.1 and expansion of Shh in the prospective mamillary area. Interestingly, we also found an ectopic domain expressing Lhx2 and Lhx9 along the anterio-posterior hypothalamic axis. Our results suggest that Lhx5 controls early aspects of hypothalamic development by regulating gene expression and cellular specification in the prospective MM.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Querétaro, Mexico.
authors.forename: Amaya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miquelajáuregui
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Querétaro, Mexico.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sandoval-Schaefer
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neuroinmunobiología, Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Cuernavaca, Mexico.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez-Armenta
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neuroinmunobiología, Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Cuernavaca, Mexico.
authors.forename: Leonor
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pérez-Martínez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Querétaro, Mexico.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cárabez
authors.affiliation: Program on Genomics of Differentiation, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Yangu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Heidelberg Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heide
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Heidelberg Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Bolado
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Querétaro, Mexico.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varela-Echavarría
keywords: diencephalon; embryonic development; hypothalamus; mouse; transcription factor