title: Genetic mechanisms control the linear scaling between related cortical primary and higher order sensory areas.
abstract: In mammals, the neocortical layout consists of few modality-specific primary sensory areas and a multitude of higher order ones. Abnormal layout of cortical areas may disrupt sensory function and behavior. Developmental genetic mechanisms specify primary areas, but mechanisms influencing higher order area properties are unknown. By exploiting gain-of and loss-of function mouse models of the transcription factor Emx2, we have generated bi-directional changes in primary visual cortex size in vivo and have used it as a model to show a novel and prominent function for genetic mechanisms regulating primary visual area size and also proportionally dictating the sizes of surrounding higher order visual areas. This finding redefines the role for intrinsic genetic mechanisms to concomitantly specify and scale primary and related higher order sensory areas in a linear fashion.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, United States.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8468-4195
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zembrzycki
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, United States.
authors.forename: Adam M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Stocker
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, United States.
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leingärtner
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, United States.
authors.forename: Setsuko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sahara
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, United States.
authors.forename: Shen-Ju
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.affiliation: Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francsisco, San Francisco, United States.
authors.forename: Valery
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kalatsky
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, United States.
authors.forename: Scott R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: May
authors.affiliation: Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francsisco, San Francisco, United States.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Stryker
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, United States.
authors.forename: Dennis Dm
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: O'Leary
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014785:Vision, Ocular; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D000099260:Empty Spiracles Homeobox Proteins
chemical_list: D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000099260:Empty Spiracles Homeobox Proteins
keywords: Emx2; brain evolution; developmental biology; extrastriate cortex; mouse; neocortical area patterning; neuroscience; sensory systems; stem cells; visual cortex