title: Cell-type-specific expression of NFIX in the developing and adult cerebellum.
abstract: Transcription factors from the nuclear factor one (NFI) family have been shown to play a central role in regulating neural progenitor cell differentiation within the embryonic and post-natal brain. NFIA and NFIB, for instance, promote the differentiation and functional maturation of granule neurons within the cerebellum. Mice lacking Nfix exhibit delays in the development of neuronal and glial lineages within the cerebellum, but the cell-type-specific expression of this transcription factor remains undefined. Here, we examined the expression of NFIX, together with various cell-type-specific markers, within the developing and adult cerebellum using both chromogenic immunohistochemistry and co-immunofluorescence labelling and confocal microscopy. In embryos, NFIX was expressed by progenitor cells within the rhombic lip and ventricular zone. After birth, progenitor cells within the external granule layer, as well as migrating and mature granule neurons, expressed NFIX. Within the adult cerebellum, NFIX displayed a broad expression profile, and was evident within granule cells, Bergmann glia, and interneurons, but not within Purkinje neurons. Furthermore, transcriptomic profiling of cerebellar granule neuron progenitor cells showed that multiple splice variants of Nfix are expressed within this germinal zone of the post-natal brain. Collectively, these data suggest that NFIX plays a role in regulating progenitor cell biology within the embryonic and post-natal cerebellum, as well as an ongoing role within multiple neuronal and glial populations within the adult cerebellum.
authors.affiliation: The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.affiliation: The School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Essebier
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Program in Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics, Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Gronostajski
authors.affiliation: The School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boden
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Brandon J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Wainwright
authors.affiliation: The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia. t.harvey1@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Tracey J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia. m.piper@uq.edu.au.|Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia. m.piper@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6759-2560
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piper
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D051839:NFI Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051839:NFI Transcription Factors; C497650:Nfix protein, mouse
keywords: Cerebellum; External granular layer; Granule neuron; NFIX