PUBLICATION

Crucial role of zebrafish prox1 in hypothalamic catecholaminergic neurons development

Authors
Pistocchi, A., Gaudenzi, G., Carra, S., Bresciani, E., Del Giacco, L., and Cotelli, F.
ID
ZDB-PUB-080324-5
Date
2008
Source
BMC Developmental Biology   8: 27 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Cotelli, Franco, Del Giacco, Luca
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Catecholamines/genetics*
  • Cell Count
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/embryology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Genes, Homeobox
  • Homeodomain Proteins/genetics*
  • Hypothalamus/cytology
  • Hypothalamus/embryology*
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • In Situ Hybridization
  • In Situ Nick-End Labeling
  • Neurons/cytology*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins/genetics*
  • Zebrafish/embryology*
  • Zebrafish/genetics
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics*
PubMed
18331627 Full text @ BMC Dev. Biol.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Prox1, the vertebrate homolog of prospero in Drosophila melanogaster, is a divergent homeogene that regulates cell proliferation, fate determination and differentiation during vertebrate embryonic development. RESULTS: Here we report that, in zebrafish, prox1 is widely expressed in several districts of the Central Nervous System (CNS). Specifically, we evidenced prox1 expression in a group of neurons, already positive for otp1, located in the hypothalamus at the level of the posterior tuberculum (PT). Prox1 knock-down determines the severe loss of hypothalamic catecholaminergic (CA) neurons, identified by tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression, and the synergistic prox1/otp1 overexpression induces the appearance of hypothalamic supernumerary TH-positive neurons and ectopic TH-positive cells on the yolk epitelium. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that prox1 activity is crucial for the proper development of the otp1-positive hypothalamic neuronal precursors to their terminal CA phenotype.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Show all Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping