Transcription factors in glutamatergic neurogenesis: Conserved programs in neocortex, cerebellum, and adult hippocampus

Glutamatergic, pyramidal-projection neurons are produced in the embryonic cerebral cortex by a series of genetically programmed fate choices, implemented in large part by developmental transcription factors. Our work has focused on Pax6, Tbr2/Eomes, NeuroD, and Tbr1, which are expressed sequentially...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuroscience research 2006-07, Vol.55 (3), p.223-233
Main Authors: Hevner, Robert F., Hodge, Rebecca D., Daza, Ray A.M., Englund, Chris
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult neurogenesis
Animals
Cell Differentiation - genetics
Cell Proliferation
Cerebellum - cytology
Cerebellum - embryology
Cerebellum - metabolism
Deep cerebellar nuclei
Eomes
Evolution, Molecular
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental - genetics
Glutamic Acid - metabolism
Hippocampus - cytology
Hippocampus - metabolism
Humans
Neocortex - cytology
Neocortex - embryology
Neocortex - metabolism
NeuroD
Neurons - cytology
Neurons - metabolism
Pax6
Rhombic lip
Tbr1
Tbr2
Transcription Factors - genetics
Unipolar brush cells
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Summary:Glutamatergic, pyramidal-projection neurons are produced in the embryonic cerebral cortex by a series of genetically programmed fate choices, implemented in large part by developmental transcription factors. Our work has focused on Pax6, Tbr2/Eomes, NeuroD, and Tbr1, which are expressed sequentially during the neurogenesis of pyramidal-projection neurons. Recently, we have found that the same transcription factors are expressed, in the same order, during glutamatergic neurogenesis in the adult dentate gyrus, and (with modifications) in the developing cerebellum. While the precise functional significance of this transcription factor expression sequence is unknown, its common appearance in embryonic and adult neurogenesis, and in different brain regions, suggests it is part of a conserved genetic program that specifies general properties of glutamatergic neurons in these regions. Subtypes of glutamatergic neurons (e.g., layer-specific fates in the cortex) are further determined by combinations of transcription factors, superimposed on general sequential programs. These new perspectives on neurogenesis add to the conceptual framework for strategies to engineer neural stem cells for the repair of specific brain circuits.
ISSN:0168-0102
1872-8111
DOI:10.1016/j.neures.2006.03.004