TY - JOUR
T1 - Identification of shared transcriptional targets for the proneural bHLH factors Xath5 and XNeuroD
AU - Logan, Mary A.
AU - Steele, Michael R.
AU - Van Raay, Terence J.
AU - Vetter, Monica L.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Drs. Constance Dooley, Kathryn Moore and Sheryl Scott for critical reading of the manuscript and Dr. R. Harland for the X. laevis head cDNA library. We are especially grateful to Erin Callahan, Dr. Kathryn Moore, Wei Chen and Minde I. Hanson for technical assistance with the in situ hybridizations and to Dr. David Hutcheson for assistance with the animal cap assays. We also thank the laboratory of Dr. Joe Yost for use of the in situ hybridization machine. Plasmids were kindly provided by Dr. Randy Moon (elrC), Dr. Ying Cao (XETOR) and Dr. Jose Luis Gomez-Skarmeta (Xgadd45γ). MAL was supported by an NIH Developmental Biology Training Grant (1T32HD07491) and an NIH Genetics Training Grant (07464 28). This work was also supported by an NIH grant to MLV (EY12274).
PY - 2005/9/15
Y1 - 2005/9/15
N2 - Proneural basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors are critical positive regulators of neuronal differentiation in a variety of species and are required for proper differentiation of various subtypes of neurons. Although bHLH factors demonstrate some unique functions during neural development, they share the ability to regulate neuronal differentiation, potentially by targeting overlapping sets of genes. To assess this, we performed a screen in ectoderm animal cap tissue to identify direct transcriptional targets shared by two Xenopus ato-related bHLH factors, Xath5 and XNeuroD. Candidate target genes identified in this screen include several transcriptional regulators (Xebf2, Xebf3, XETOR and NKL), an RNA binding protein (elrC), a cell cycle component (Xgadd45γ) and several novel genes. Overexpression of either Xath5 or XNeuroD induced ectopic in vivo expression of these candidate target genes. Conversely, blocking ato-related bHLH activity prevented endogenous nervous system expression of these genes. Therefore, we have identified a set of genes that can be regulated by multiple ato-related bHLH factors and may function as critical effectors of proneural bHLH-mediated differentiation.
AB - Proneural basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors are critical positive regulators of neuronal differentiation in a variety of species and are required for proper differentiation of various subtypes of neurons. Although bHLH factors demonstrate some unique functions during neural development, they share the ability to regulate neuronal differentiation, potentially by targeting overlapping sets of genes. To assess this, we performed a screen in ectoderm animal cap tissue to identify direct transcriptional targets shared by two Xenopus ato-related bHLH factors, Xath5 and XNeuroD. Candidate target genes identified in this screen include several transcriptional regulators (Xebf2, Xebf3, XETOR and NKL), an RNA binding protein (elrC), a cell cycle component (Xgadd45γ) and several novel genes. Overexpression of either Xath5 or XNeuroD induced ectopic in vivo expression of these candidate target genes. Conversely, blocking ato-related bHLH activity prevented endogenous nervous system expression of these genes. Therefore, we have identified a set of genes that can be regulated by multiple ato-related bHLH factors and may function as critical effectors of proneural bHLH-mediated differentiation.
KW - Neuronal differentiation
KW - Proneural
KW - Target genes
KW - bHLH transcription factor
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ydbio.2005.06.033
DO - 10.1016/j.ydbio.2005.06.033
M3 - Article
C2 - 16112102
AN - SCOPUS:25844505700
SN - 0012-1606
VL - 285
SP - 570
EP - 583
JO - Developmental Biology
JF - Developmental Biology
IS - 2
ER -