Translate this page to:
Choose Language…
In JoVE (6)
- Growth Factor-Coated Bead Placement on Dorsal Forebrain Explants
- Mouse Dorsal Forebrain Explant Isolation
- Culture of Mouse Neural Stem Cell Precursors
- Flash Freezing and Cryosectioning E12.5 Mouse Brain
- RNA Extraction from Neuroprecursor Cells Using the Bio-Rad Total RNA Kit
- Rapid Genotyping of Mouse Tissue Using Sigma's Extract-N-Amp Tissue PCR Kit
Other Publications (20)
- Molecular and Cellular Biology
- The Journal of Comparative Neurology
- Conference Proceedings : ... Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Conference
- Lab on a Chip
- Development (Cambridge, England)
- Journal of Neuroscience Research
- Development (Cambridge, England)
- The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
- Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology
- BMC Biotechnology
- Developmental Biology
- Stem Cells (Dayton, Ohio)
- Science (New York, N.Y.)
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
- Electrophoresis
- The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
- Development (Cambridge, England)
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
- Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Articles by Edwin S. Monuki in JoVE
JoVE General
Growth Factor-Coated Bead Placement on Dorsal Forebrain Explants
1Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine (UCI), 2Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine (UCI), 3Department of Pathology, University of California, Irvine (UCI)
This video demonstrates two methods for preparing and placing beads, which have been coated with growth factor, on explants of the developing cerebral cortex. These beads can be used to induce spatially restricted gene expression on developing neural tissue such as forebrain explants. Methods are given for using both Affi-Gel beads and heparin acryllic beads.
JoVE General
Mouse Dorsal Forebrain Explant Isolation
1Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine (UCI), 2Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine (UCI), 3Department of Pathology, University of California, Irvine (UCI)
This video demonstrates the protocol for isolating and culturing explants of the mouse forebrain from embyonic day 12 mice. Procedures for removal of the uterus, embryos from uterus, and dissection of embryos are given. In addition the methodology for transferring these explants onto specialized membranes on which they are cultured is demonstrated. The development of the forebrain can be studied in vitro using this preparations as well as changes in gene expression.
JoVE General
Culture of Mouse Neural Stem Cell Precursors
1Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine (UCI), 2Department of Pathology, University of California, Irvine (UCI), 3Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine (UCI)
This video describes the method used for isolation of neuroprecursors from the developing cortex of embryonic mice. The procedure for removing embryos from the uterus, dissecting the cortical tissue, and digesting the isolated cerebral cortex is shown.
JoVE General
Flash Freezing and Cryosectioning E12.5 Mouse Brain
Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine (UCI)
Demonstrated in this video are the techniques for flash freezing and sectioning embryonic brain tissue from mouse. Useful tips for using the cryostat are given, including troubleshooting methods that can be used while cutting to ensure that the resultant tissues sections are free of cracks and other distortions.
JoVE General
RNA Extraction from Neuroprecursor Cells Using the Bio-Rad Total RNA Kit
1Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine (UCI), 2Department of Pathology, University of California, Irvine (UCI)
JoVE General
Rapid Genotyping of Mouse Tissue Using Sigma's Extract-N-Amp Tissue PCR Kit
Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine (UCI)
The complete genotyping of a mouse tail sample, including tissue digestion and PCR readout, is done in one and a half hours using Sigma's SYBR Green Extract-N-Amp Tissue PCR kit.
Other articles by Edwin S. Monuki on PubMed
Genetic Ablation of the CDP/Cux Protein C Terminus Results in Hair Cycle Defects and Reduced Male Fertility
Murine CDP/Cux, a homologue of the Drosophila Cut homeoprotein, modulates the promoter activity of cell cycle-related and cell-type-specific genes. CDP/Cux interacts with histone gene promoters as the DNA binding subunit of a large nuclear complex (HiNF-D). CDP/Cux is a ubiquitous protein containing four conserved DNA binding domains: three Cut repeats and a homeodomain. In this study, we analyzed genetically targeted mice (Cutl1(tm2Ejn), referred to as Delta C) that express a mutant CDP/Cux protein with a deletion of the C terminus, including the homeodomain. In comparison to the wild-type protein, indirect immunofluorescence showed that the mutant protein exhibited significantly reduced nuclear localization. Consistent with these data, DNA binding activity of HiNF-D was lost in nuclear extracts derived from mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) or adult tissues of homozygous mutant (Delta C(-/-)) mice, indicating the functional loss of CDP/Cux protein in the nucleus. No significant difference in growth characteristics or total histone H4 mRNA levels was observed between wild-type and Delta C(-/-) MEFs in culture. However, specific histone genes (H4.1 and H1) containing CDP/Cux binding sites have reduced expression levels in homozygous mutant MEFs. Stringent control of growth and differentiation appears to be compromised in vivo. Homozygous mutant mice have stunted growth (20 to 50% weight reduction), a high postnatal death rate of 60 to 70%, sparse abnormal coat hair, and severely reduced fertility. The deregulated hair cycle and severely diminished fertility in Cutl1(tm2Ejn/tm2Ejn) mice suggest that CDP/Cux is required for the developmental control of dermal and reproductive functions.
Expression of Cux-1 and Cux-2 in the Subventricular Zone and Upper Layers II-IV of the Cerebral Cortex
Little is known about how neurons in the different layers of the mammalian cerebral cortex are specified at the molecular level. Expression of two homologues of the Drosophila homeobox Cut gene, Cux-1 and Cux-2, is strikingly specific to the pyramidal neurons of the upper layers (II-IV) of the murine cortex, suggesting that they may define the molecular identity of these neurons. An antibody against Cux-1 labels the nucleus of most of the postmitotic upper layer neurons but does not label parvoalbumin-positive cortical interneurons that derive from the medial ganglionic eminence. Cux-1 and Cux-2 represent early markers of neuronal differentiation; both genes are expressed in postmitotic cortical neurons from embryonic stages to adulthood and in the proliferative regions of the developing cortex. In precursors cells, Cux-1 immunoreactivity is weak and diffuse in the cytoplasm and nucleus of ventricular zone (VZ) cells, whereas it is nuclear in the majority of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-positive subventricular zone (SVZ) dividing cells, suggesting that Cux-1 function is first activated in SVZ cells. Cux-2 mRNA expression is also found in the embryonic SVZ, overlapping with BrdU-positive dividing precursors, but it is not expressed in the VZ. A null mutation in Pax-6 disrupts Cux-2 expression in the SVZ and Cux-1 and Cux-2 expression in the postmigratory cortical neurons. Thus, these data support the existence of an intermediate neuronal precursor in the SVZ dedicated to the generation of upper layer neurons, marked specifically by Cux-2. The patterns of expression of Cux genes suggest potential roles as determinants of the neuronal fate of the upper cortical layer neurons.
Development of a MEMS Microsystem to Study the Effect of Mechanical Tension on Cerebral Cortex Neurogenesis
A clamp-and-ratchet microstructure based on poly crystalline silicon (polysilicon) microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology has been designed to exert mechanical tension along radial glial processes between groups of neural stem cells to study the effect of tension on cerebral cortex neurogenesis. FEA analysis shows that the design should not fail under expected loading conditions. Preliminary studies show that embryonic brain tissue survives under tension for at least six days. Neurospheres have been successfully cultured on Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) for eight days and exhibit radial extensions which appear to support neuronal migration. Stretching the PDMS using the clamp and ratchet will produce tension in these radial extensions which may modulate neuronal migration, a key process in cerebral cortex development.
Human Neural Stem Cell Growth and Differentiation in a Gradient-generating Microfluidic Device
This paper describes a gradient-generating microfluidic platform for optimizing proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) in culture. Microfluidic technology has great potential to improve stem cell (SC) cultures, whose promise in cell-based therapies is limited by the inability to precisely control their behavior in culture. Compared to traditional culture tools, microfluidic platforms should provide much greater control over cell microenvironment and rapid optimization of media composition using relatively small numbers of cells. Our platform exposes cells to a concentration gradient of growth factors under continuous flow, thus minimizing autocrine and paracrine signaling. Human NSCs (hNSCs) from the developing cerebral cortex were cultured for more than 1 week in the microfluidic device while constantly exposed to a continuous gradient of a growth factor (GF) mixture containing epidermal growth factor (EGF), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Proliferation and differentiation of NSCs into astrocytes were monitored by time-lapse microscopy and immunocytochemistry. The NSCs remained healthy throughout the entire culture period, and importantly, proliferated and differentiated in a graded and proportional fashion that varied directly with GF concentration. These concentration-dependent cellular responses were quantitatively similar to those measured in control chambers built into the device and in parallel cultures using traditional 6-well plates. This gradient-generating microfluidic platform should be useful for a wide range of basic and applied studies on cultured cells, including SCs.
Direct and Indirect Roles of CNS Dorsal Midline Cells in Choroid Plexus Epithelia Formation
Choroid plexus (CP) produces the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of the central nervous system (CNS), but little is known about the mechanisms underlying development of this important tissue. CP forms in the hindbrain (4th ventricle), diencephalon (3rd ventricle) and dorsomedial telencephalon bilaterally (lateral ventricles). All of these sites lie at or near the embryonic dorsal midline (DM), which acts as a CNS patterning center. We therefore examined DM-CP relationships using normal and Gdf7 (Bmp12) transgenic embryos to fate map or ablate DM cells. These studies revealed a Gdf7 fate map that includes most CP epithelial (CPe) cells of the hindbrain and diencephalon. In the telencephalon, Gdf7 cell lineages were found in the small anterior domain of telencephalic CPe (tCPe), but its large posterior domain was devoid of these lineages. Anterior and posterior tCPe domains, which arise within a contiguous field separate from diencephalic CPe, also exhibited different patterns of apoptosis. Despite lacking Gdf7 cell lineages, the posterior tCPe domain failed to form after ablating Gdf7-expressing DM cells at neural tube stages. The tCPe loss was associated with abrogation of high-level bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) signaling, which is known to be required for tCPe induction. Taken together, these studies demonstrate intimate DM-CPe relationships throughout the CNS and highlight two distinct tCPe domains, including a posterior domain whose genesis depends on DM cells in a non-cell-autonomous fashion.
Regulation of Human Neural Precursor Cells by Laminin and Integrins
Deciphering the factors that regulate human neural stem cells will greatly aid in their use as models of development and as therapeutic agents. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a component of stem cell niches in vivo and regulates multiple functions in diverse cell types, yet little is known about its effects on human neural stem/precursor cells (NSPCs). We therefore plated human NSPCs on four different substrates (poly-L-ornithine, fibronectin, laminin, and matrigel) and compared their responses with those of mouse NSPCs. Compared with the other substrates, laminin matrices enhanced NSPC migration, expansion, differentiation into neurons and astrocytes, and elongation of neurites from NSPC-derived neurons. Laminin had a similar spectrum of effects on both human and mouse cells, highlighting the evolutionary conservation of NSPC regulation by this component of the ECM. Flow cytometry revealed that human NSPCs express on their cell surfaces the laminin-binding integrins alpha3, alpha6, alpha7, beta1, and beta4, and function-blocking antibodies to the alpha6 subunit confirmed a role for integrins in laminin-dependent migration of human NSPCs. These results define laminin and its integrin receptors as key regulators of human NSPCs.
The Roof Plate Regulates Cerebellar Cell-type Specification and Proliferation
During embryogenesis, the isthmic organizer, a well-described signaling center at the junction of the mid-hindbrain, establishes the cerebellar territory along the anterior/posterior axis of the neural tube. Mechanisms specifying distinct populations within the early cerebellar anlage are less defined. Using a newly developed gene expression map of the early cerebellar anlage, we demonstrate that secreted signals from the rhombomere 1 roof plate are both necessary and sufficient for specification of the adjacent cerebellar rhombic lip and its derivative fates. Surprisingly, we show that the roof plate is not absolutely required for initial specification of more distal cerebellar cell fates, but rather regulates progenitor proliferation and cell position within the cerebellar anlage. Thus, in addition to the isthmus, the roof plate represents an important signaling center controlling multiple aspects of cerebellar patterning.
Central Roles of the Roof Plate in Telencephalic Development and Holoprosencephaly
The roof plate is a well known signaling center in CNS development, but its roles in the developing telencephalon and the common holoprosencephaly (HPE) malformation have been uncertain. Using cellular ablations in mice, we show that roof plate cell loss causes failed midline induction and HPE in the dorsal telencephalon. This morphologic phenotype is accompanied by selective deficits in midline gene expression and a reduced activity gradient for bone morphogenetic proteins (Bmps), the major signals produced by the roof plate. In dissociated cells and mutant explants, exogenous Bmp4 is sufficient to mimic roof plate selectivity in midline gene regulation and to rescue roof plate-dependent midline patterning. Previously unrecognized neuroanatomical defects predicted by the mouse model are then confirmed in human HPE patients. These findings establish selective roles for roof plate-dependent Bmp signaling in dorsal telencephalic patterning and HPE and define novel candidate genes for the human disorder.
The Morphogen Signaling Network in Forebrain Development and Holoprosencephaly
Forebrain development is directed by secreted signaling molecules known as morphogens, and morphogen signaling defects often lead to failed midline induction and holoprosencephaly (HPE), the most common malformation of the human forebrain. Genetic studies in multiple organisms implicate 4 well-known morphogens or morphogen families--Nodal, Sonic hedgehog, Fibroblast growth factors, and Bone morphogenetic proteins--as causes of HPE. Here I review the roles of these morphogens in HPE and forebrain midline development. In particular, this review focuses on recent evidence for cross-regulatory interactions between morphogens, which lead to a signaling network model of forebrain development that can explain the distinctive HPE phenotypes seen in humans and animal models.
A Hybrid Microfluidic-vacuum Device for Direct Interfacing with Conventional Cell Culture Methods
Microfluidics is an enabling technology with a number of advantages over traditional tissue culture methods when precise control of cellular microenvironment is required. However, there are a number of practical and technical limitations that impede wider implementation in routine biomedical research. Specialized equipment and protocols required for fabrication and setting up microfluidic experiments present hurdles for routine use by most biology laboratories.
Co-factors of LIM Domains (Clims/Ldb/Nli) Regulate Corneal Homeostasis and Maintenance of Hair Follicle Stem Cells
The homeostasis of both cornea and hair follicles depends on a constant supply of progeny cells produced by populations of keratin (K) 14-expressing stem cells localized in specific niches. To investigate the potential role of Co-factors of LIM domains (Clims) in epithelial tissues, we generated transgenic mice expressing a dominant-negative Clim molecule (DN-Clim) under the control of the K14 promoter. As expected, the K14 promoter directed high level expression of the transgene to the basal cells of cornea and epidermis, as well as the outer root sheath of hair follicles. In corneal epithelium, the transgene expression causes decreased expression of adhesion molecule BP180 and defective hemidesmosomes, leading to detachment of corneal epithelium from the underlying stroma, which in turn causes blisters, wounds and an inflammatory response. After a period of epithelial thinning, the corneal epithelium undergoes differentiation to an epidermis-like structure. The K14-DN-Clim mice also develop progressive hair loss due to dysfunctional hair follicles that fail to generate hair shafts. The number of hair follicle stem cells is decreased by at least 60% in K14-DN-Clim mice, indicating that Clims are required for hair follicle stem cell maintenance. In addition, Clim2 interacts with Lhx2 in vivo, suggesting that Clim2 is an essential co-factor for the LIM homeodomain factor Lhx2, which was previously shown to play a role in hair follicle stem cell maintenance. Together, these data indicate that Clim proteins play important roles in the homeostasis of corneal epithelium and hair follicles.
Unique Dielectric Properties Distinguish Stem Cells and Their Differentiated Progeny
The relatively new field of stem cell biology is hampered by a lack of sufficient means to accurately determine the phenotype of cells. Cell-type-specific markers, such as cell surface proteins used for flow cytometry or fluorescence-activated cell sorting, are limited and often recognize multiple members of a stem cell lineage. We sought to develop a complementary approach that would be less dependent on the identification of particular markers for the subpopulations of cells and would instead measure their overall character. We tested whether a microfluidic system using dielectrophoresis (DEP), which induces a frequency-dependent dipole in cells, would be useful for characterizing stem cells and their differentiated progeny. We found that populations of mouse neural stem/precursor cells (NSPCs), differentiated neurons, and differentiated astrocytes had different dielectric properties revealed by DEP. By isolating NSPCs from developmental ages at which they are more likely to generate neurons, or astrocytes, we were able to show that a shift in dielectric property reflecting their fate bias precedes detectable marker expression in these cells and identifies specific progenitor populations. In addition, experimental data and mathematical modeling suggest that DEP curve parameters can indicate cell heterogeneity in mixed cultures. These findings provide evidence for a whole cell property that reflects stem cell fate bias and establish DEP as a tool with unique capabilities for interrogating, characterizing, and sorting stem cells.
Lhx2 Selector Activity Specifies Cortical Identity and Suppresses Hippocampal Organizer Fate
The earliest step in creating the cerebral cortex is the specification of neuroepithelium to a cortical fate. Using mouse genetic mosaics and timed inactivations, we demonstrated that Lhx2 acts as a classic selector gene and essential intrinsic determinant of cortical identity. Lhx2 selector activity is restricted to an early critical period when stem cells comprise the cortical neuroepithelium, where it acts cell-autonomously to specify cortical identity and suppress alternative fates in a spatially dependent manner. Laterally, Lhx2 null cells adopt antihem identity, whereas medially they become cortical hem cells, which can induce and organize ectopic hippocampal fields. In addition to providing functional evidence for Lhx2 selector activity, these findings show that the cortical hem is a hippocampal organizer.
Border Formation in a Bmp Gradient Reduced to Single Dissociated Cells
Conversions of signaling gradients into sharp "all-or-none" borders are fundamental to tissue and organismal development. However, whether such conversions can be meaningfully reduced to dissociated cells in culture has been uncertain. Here we describe ultrasensitivity, the phenomenon equivalent to an all-or-none response, in dissociated neural precursor cells (NPCs) exposed to bone morphogenetic protein 4 (Bmp4). NPC ultrasensitivity is evident at the population and single-cell levels based on Msx1 induction, a well known Bmp target response, and occurs in the context of gene expression changes consistent with Bmp4 activity as a morphogen. Dissociated NPCs also display immediate early kinetics and irreversibility for Msx1 induction after brief Bmp4 exposure, which are attractive features for initial border formation. Relevance to border formation in vivo is provided by Bmp4 gain-of-function studies in explants and evidence for single-cell ultrasensitivity in normal and mutant Bmp gradient contexts in the developing forebrain. Together, these studies demonstrate relatively simple, robust, and reducible cell-intrinsic properties that contribute to developmental border formation within a signaling gradient.
Dual Frequency Dielectrophoresis with Interdigitated Sidewall Electrodes for Microfluidic Flow-through Separation of Beads and Cells
This paper presents a novel design and separation strategy for lateral flow-through separation of cells/particles in microfluidics by dual frequency coupled dielectrophoresis (DEP) forces enabled by vertical interdigitated electrodes embedded in the channel sidewalls. Unlike field-flow-fractionation-DEP separations in microfluidics, which utilize planar electrodes on the microchannel floor to generate a DEP force to balance the gravitational force and separate objects at different height locations, lateral separation is enabled by sidewall interdigitated electrodes that are used to generate non-uniform electric fields and balanced DEP forces along the width of the microchannel. In the current design, two separate AC electric fields are applied to two sets of independent interdigitated electrode arrays fabricated in the sidewalls of the microchannel to generate differential DEP forces that act on the cells/particles flowing through. Individual particles (cells or beads) will experience DEP forces differently due to the difference in their dielectric properties. The balance of the differential DEP forces from the electrode arrays will position dissimilar particles at distinct equilibrium planes across the width of the channel. When coupled with fluid flow, this results in lateral separation along the width of the microchannel and the separated particles can thus be automatically directed into branched channel outlets leading to different reservoirs for downstream processing. In this paper, we present the design and analysis of lateral separation enabled by dual frequency coupled DEP, and cell/bead and cell/cell separations are demonstrated with this lateral separation strategy. With vertical interdigitated electrodes on the sidewall, the height of the microchannel can be increased without losing the electric field strength in contrast to other multiple frequency DEP devices with planar electrodes. As a result, populations of cells can be separated simultaneously instead of one by one to enable high-throughput sorting microfluidic devices.
Beta-catenin Signaling Levels in Progenitors Influence the Laminar Cell Fates of Projection Neurons
The mechanisms underlying the timing of the laminar fate decisions during cortical neurogenesis remain poorly understood. Here we show that beta-catenin signaling in cortical neural precursors can regulate the laminar fate of their daughters. In ventricular zone neural precursors, beta-catenin signaling is higher when deep-layer neurons are being generated and lower when upper-layer neurons are being generated. Overactivation of beta-catenin in cortical precursors midway through corticogenesis increased the relative production of deep-layer neurons, while inhibition of signaling increased the relative production of upper-layer neurons. Furthermore, in late-gestation upper-layer precursors, overactive beta-catenin signaling was able to partially restore production of deep-layer neurons. These observations suggest that increased beta-catenin signaling can reset the timing of cortical precursors to promote the production of deep-layer neurons, while inhibition of beta-catenin signaling advances the timing to promote upper-layer production.
Lhx2 Links the Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors That Control Optic Cup Formation
A crucial step in eye organogenesis is the transition of the optic vesicle into the optic cup. Several transcription factors and extracellular signals mediate this transition, but whether a single factor links them into a common genetic network is unclear. Here, we provide evidence that the LIM homeobox gene Lhx2, which is expressed in the optic neuroepithelium, fulfils such a role. In Lhx2(-/-) mouse embryos, eye field specification and optic vesicle morphogenesis occur, but development arrests prior to optic cup formation in both the optic neuroepithelium and lens ectoderm. This is accompanied by failure to maintain or initiate the expression patterns of optic-vesicle-patterning and lens-inducing determinants. Of the signaling pathways examined, only BMP signaling is noticeably altered and Bmp4 and Bmp7 mRNAs are undetectable. Lhx2(-/-) optic vesicles and lens ectoderm upregulate Pax2, Fgf15 and Sox2 in response to BMP treatments, and Lhx2 genetic mosaics reveal that transcription factors, including Vsx2 and Mitf, require Lhx2 cell-autonomously for their expression. Our data indicate that Lhx2 is required for optic vesicle patterning and lens formation in part by regulating BMP signaling in an autocrine manner in the optic neuroepithelium and in a paracrine manner in the lens ectoderm. We propose a model in which Lhx2 is a central link in a genetic network that coordinates the multiple pathways leading to optic cup formation.
Lmx1a Regulates Fates and Location of Cells Originating from the Cerebellar Rhombic Lip and Telencephalic Cortical Hem
The cerebellar rhombic lip and telencephalic cortical hem are dorsally located germinal zones which contribute substantially to neuronal diversity in the CNS, but the mechanisms that drive neurogenesis within these zones are ill defined. Using genetic fate mapping in wild-type and Lmx1a(-/-) mice, we demonstrate that Lmx1a is a critical regulator of cell-fate decisions within both these germinal zones. In the developing cerebellum, Lmx1a is expressed in the roof plate, where it is required to segregate the roof plate lineage from neuronal rhombic lip derivatives. In addition, Lmx1a is expressed in a subset of rhombic lip progenitors which produce granule cells that are predominantly restricted to the cerebellar posterior vermis. In the absence of Lmx1a, these cells precociously exit the rhombic lip and overmigrate into the anterior vermis. This overmigration is associated with premature regression of the rhombic lip and posterior vermis hypoplasia in Lmx1a(-/-) mice. These data reveal molecular organization of the cerebellar rhombic lip and introduce Lmx1a as an important regulator of rhombic lip cell-fate decisions, which are critical for maintenance of the entire rhombic lip and normal cerebellar morphogenesis. In the developing telencephalon Lmx1a is expressed in the cortical hem, and in its absence cortical hem progenitors contribute excessively to the adjacent hippocampus instead of producing Cajal-Retzius neurons. Thus, Lmx1a activity is critical for proper production of cells originating from both the cerebellar rhombic lip and the telencephalic cortical hem.
Species Differences in Early Patterning of the Avian Brain
The telencephalon is proportionately larger in parrots than in galliformes (chicken-like birds), whereas the midbrain tectum is proportionately smaller. We here test the hypothesis that the adult species difference in midbrain proportion is due to an evolutionary change in early brain patterning. In particular, we compare the size of the early embryonic midbrain between parakeets (Melopsittacus undulatus) and bobwhite quail (Colinus virgianus) by examining the expression domains of transcription factors Pax6 and Gbx2, which are expressed in the forebrain and hindbrain, respectively. Because these expression domains form rostral and caudal borders with the presumptive midbrain when this region is specified (Hamburger-Hamilton stages 9-11), they allow us to measure and compare the sizes of a molecularly defined presumptive midbrain in the two species. Based on published data from older embryos, we predicted that the molecularly defined midbrain territory is significantly larger in quail than parakeets. Indeed, our data show that normalized midbrain length is 33% greater in quail and that the midbrain to forebrain ratio is 28% greater. This is strong evidence of a significant species difference in early brain patterning.
Transcription Factor Lhx2 is Necessary and Sufficient to Suppress Astrogliogenesis and Promote Neurogenesis in the Developing Hippocampus
The sequential production of neurons and astrocytes from neuroepithelial precursors is a fundamental feature of central nervous system development. We report that LIM-homeodomain (LIM-HD) transcription factor Lhx2 regulates this transition in the developing hippocampus. Disrupting Lhx2 function in the embryonic hippocampus by in utero electroporation and in organotypic slice culture caused the premature production of astrocytes at stages when neurons are normally generated. Lhx2 function is therefore necessary to suppress astrogliogenesis during the neurogenic period. Furthermore, Lhx2 overexpression was sufficient to suppress astrogliogenesis and prolong the neurogenic period. We provide evidence that Lhx2 overexpression can counteract the instructive astrogliogenic effect of Notch activation. Lhx2 overexpression was also able to override and suppress the activation of the GFAP promoter by Nfia, a Notch-regulated transcription factor that is required for gliogenesis. Thus, Lhx2 appears to act as a "brake" on Notch/Nfia-mediated astrogliogenesis. This critical role for Lhx2 is spatially restricted to the hippocampus, because loss of Lhx2 function in the neocortex did not result in premature astrogliogenesis at the expense of neurogenesis. Our results therefore place Lhx2 as a central regulator of the neuron-glia cell fate decision in the hippocampus and reveal a striking regional specificity of this fundamental function within the dorsal telencephalon.
