Gli3 controls subplate formation and growth of cortical axons

The formation of a functional cortical circuitry requires the coordinated growth of cortical axons to their target areas. While the mechanisms guiding cortical axons to their targets have extensively been studied, very little is known about the processes which promote their growth in vivo. Gli3 enco...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. 1991) N.Y. 1991), 2013-11, Vol.23 (11), p.2542-2551
Main Authors: Magnani, Dario, Hasenpusch-Theil, Kerstin, Theil, Thomas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Axons - physiology
Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors - genetics
Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors - metabolism
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Mutation
Neocortex - embryology
Neocortex - metabolism
Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics
Nerve Tissue Proteins - metabolism
Neurons - physiology
Zinc Finger Protein Gli3
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Summary:The formation of a functional cortical circuitry requires the coordinated growth of cortical axons to their target areas. While the mechanisms guiding cortical axons to their targets have extensively been studied, very little is known about the processes which promote their growth in vivo. Gli3 encodes a zinc finger transcription factor which is expressed in cortical progenitor cells and has crucial roles in cortical development. Here, we characterize the Gli3 compound mutant Gli3(Xt/Pdn), which largely lacks Neurofilament(+) fibers in the rostral and intermediate neocortex. DiI labeling and Golli-τGFP immunofluorescence indicate that Gli3(Xt/Pdn) cortical neurons form short and stunted axons. Using transplantation experiments we demonstrate that this axon growth defect is primarily caused by a nonpermissive cortical environment. Furthermore, in Emx1Cre;Gli3(Pdn/fl) conditional mutants, which mimic the reduction of Gli3 expression in the dorsal telencephalon of Gli3(Xt/Pdn) embryos, the growth of cortical axons is not impaired, suggesting that Gli3 controls this process early in telencephalic development. In contrast to cortical plate neurons, Gli3(Xt/Pdn) embryos largely lack subplate (SP) neurons which normally pioneer cortical projections. Collectively, these findings show that Gli3 specifies a cortical environment permissive to the growth of cortical axons at the progenitor level by controlling the formation of SP neurons.
ISSN:1047-3211
1460-2199
DOI:10.1093/cercor/bhs237