title: Terminal Selectors of Neuronal Identity.
abstract: The analysis of the developmental programs that define many different neuron types in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has revealed common themes in how distinct terminal differentiation programs are controlled. Rather than being controlled in a piece-meal manner, terminal identity features of a mature neuron are often coregulated by so-called terminal selector transcription factors. Here, I summarize the terminal selector concept and emphasize core features of this concept in the C. elegans system such as coregulation of terminal effector batteries, combinatorial control mechanisms, and the coupling of initiation and maintenance of neuronal identity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA. Electronic address: or38@columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hobert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
keywords: Neuronal differentiation; Neuronal identity; Transcriptional regulation