Her5 acts as a prepattern factor that blocks neurogenin1 and coe2 expression upstream of Notch to inhibit neurogenesis at the midbrain-hindbrain boundary

Development. 2004 May;131(9):1993-2006. doi: 10.1242/dev.01093. Epub 2004 Mar 31.

Abstract

Neurogenesis in both vertebrates and invertebrates is tightly controlled in time and space involving both positive and negative regulators. We report here that the bHLH factor Her5 acts as a prepattern gene to prevent neurogenesis in the anlage of the midbrain/hindbrain boundary in the zebrafish neural plate. This involves selective suppression of both neurogenin1 (ngn1) and coe2 mRNA expression in a process that is independent of Notch signalling, and where inhibition of either ngn1 or coe2 expression is sufficient to prevent neuronal differentiation across the midbrain-hindbrain boundary. A ngn1 transgene faithfully responds to Her5 and deletion analysis of the transgene identifies an E-box in a ngn1 upstream enhancer to be required for repression by Her5. Together our data demonstrate a role of Her5 as a prepattern factor in the spatial definition of proneural domains in the zebrafish neural plate, in a manner similar to its Drosophila homologue Hairy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
  • Body Patterning*
  • Cell Differentiation / physiology
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Embryonic Structures / anatomy & histology
  • Embryonic Structures / physiology
  • Enhancer Elements, Genetic
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental*
  • In Situ Hybridization
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Mesencephalon / cytology
  • Mesencephalon / metabolism*
  • Morphogenesis / physiology
  • Neurons / cytology
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Receptors, Notch
  • Rhombencephalon / cytology
  • Rhombencephalon / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Transgenes
  • Zebrafish / anatomy & histology
  • Zebrafish / embryology*
  • Zebrafish / physiology
  • Zebrafish Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Her5 protein, zebrafish
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Receptors, Notch
  • Transcription Factors
  • Zebrafish Proteins
  • ebf2 protein, zebrafish