PUBLICATION

The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, Tal2, marks the lateral floor plate of the spinal cord in zebrafish

Authors
Pinheiro, P., Gering, M., and Patient, R.
ID
ZDB-PUB-040113-11
Date
2004
Source
Gene expression patterns : GEP   4(1): 85-92 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Gering, Martin, Patient, Roger K., Pinheiro, Philip
Keywords
Leukaemia; Neurogenesis; Midbrain; Floor plate; Motorneurons; Interneurons; Diencephalon; Hindbrain; Tectum; Tegmentum; Hedgehog; Notochord; Nodal; cyclops; Scl; Tal1; Smoothened; fkd4; pax2.1; islet1; syu; smu
MeSH Terms
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics*
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Spinal Cord/embryology
  • Spinal Cord/metabolism*
  • In Situ Hybridization
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Time Factors
  • Transcription Factors/genetics*
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Embryonic Development
  • Animals
  • Genetic Markers
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Zebrafish/embryology
  • Zebrafish/genetics*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/metabolism
(all 18)
PubMed
14678833 Full text @ Gene Expr. Patterns
Abstract
Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors play key roles in the development of the central nervous system. Here we report the isolation of a zebrafish gene that encodes a homologue of the mammalian bHLH transcription factor, Tal2. In zebrafish embryos, tal2, like its mammalian homologue, is strongly expressed in the diencephalon and the mesencephalon, with the latter expression located in post-mitotic cells of the tectum. However, in addition to this conserved brain expression, we also detect expression in the floor plate of the spinal cord. By the location of this expression relative to other genes expressed in the floor plate and by analysing expression in a selection of midline mutants, we reveal that tal2 is expressed within the lateral floor plate as opposed to the medial floor plate, and also in more dorsal cells which are distinct from motorneurons and depend on either sonic hedgehog signalling or a signal coming from the lateral floor plate. This is to our knowledge the first report of a gene expressed specifically in lateral cells of the floor plate in the spinal cord.
Genes / Markers
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Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
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Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping
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Citation
Pinheiro, P., Gering, M., and Patient, R. (2004) The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, Tal2, marks the lateral floor plate of the spinal cord in zebrafish. Gene expression patterns : GEP. 4(1):85-92.