Coordination of voluntary motor activity depends on the generation of the appropriate neuronal subtypes in the basal ganglia and their integration into functional neuronal circuits. The largest nucleus of the basal ganglia, the striatum, contains two classes of neurons: the principal population of medium-sized dense spiny neurons (MSNs; 97-98% of all striatal neurons in rodents), which project to the globus pallidus and the substantia nigra, and the locally projecting striatal interneurons (SINs; 2-3% in rodents). SINs are further subdivided into two non-overlapping groups: those producing acetylcholine (cholinergic) and those producing -amino butyric acid (GABAergic). Despite the pivotal role of SINs in integrating the output of striatal circuits and the function of neuronal networks in the ventral forebrain, the lineage relationship of SIN subtypes and the molecular mechanisms that control their differentiation are currently unclear. Using genetic fate mapping, we demonstrate here that the majority of cholinergic and GABAergic SINs are derived from common precursors generated in the medial ganglionic eminence during embryogenesis. These precursors express the LIM homeodomain protein Lhx6 and have characteristics of proto-GABAergic neurons. By combining gene expression analysis with loss-of-function and misexpression experiments, we provide evidence that the differentiation of the common precursor into mature SIN subtypes is regulated by the combinatorial activity of the LIM homeodomain proteins Lhx6, Lhx7 (Lhx8) and Isl1. These studies suggest that a LIM homeodomain transcriptional code confers cell-fate specification and neurotransmitter identity in neuronal subpopulations of the ventral forebrain.

The generation and maintenance of a plethora of neuronal subtypes is essential for normal brain function. Nevertheless, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that maintain the defining characteristics of neurons following their initial postmitotic specification. Using conditional gene ablation in mice, we demonstrate here that the homeodomain protein LIM homeobox (Lhx)7 is essential for maintaining the morphological and molecular characteristics of cholinergic interneurons of the striatum. Lhx7-depleted cholinergic interneurons extinguish expression of several subtype-specific markers, including choline acetyl transferase and Isl1, and are respecified into Lhx6-expressing mature GABAergic interneurons. Additional expression studies support a model where Lhx7 controls the choice between cholinergic or GABAergic identity by gating a cross inhibitory regulation between Isl1 and Lhx6. By demonstrating that the switch between alternative striatal interneuron fates depends on persistent activity of a single transcription factor, we provide evidence that the intrinsic plasticity of mammalian forebrain neuronal subtypes is maintained after the initial specification and lineage commitment and possibly throughout life.neuronal subtype specification | medial ganglionic eminence-derived interneurons T he information-processing ability of the nervous system depends on the formation of functional neuronal circuits composed of a highly heterogeneous population of neurons. Recent progress has identified molecular cascades that control the generation of distinct neuronal subtypes during development (1-3) but the mechanisms that maintain the identity of neurons following lineage commitment and differentiation are currently unclear. Identifying such mechanisms is critical for understanding phenotypic plasticity in the nervous system and, ultimately, influencing its ability to adjust during normal development, disease, or injury.The striatum is a subcortical structure that integrates multiple inputs from the cortex, thalamus, and midbrain and relays information to the output domains of the basal ganglia via its principal population of projection neurons (4, 5). Balanced striatal output, which is critical for motor and cognitive activity, depends on local circuits controlled by distinct subpopulations of GABAergic and cholinergic interneurons (5). Both GABAergic and cholinergic striatal interneurons (GSIs and CSIs, respectively) are derived from Nkx2.1-expressing progenitors of the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) (6, 7), which, upon exit from the cell cycle, express the LIM homeodomain (LIM HD) transcription factors LIM homeobox 6 (Lhx6) and LIM homeobox 7 (Lhx7) (8). A subset of these precursors maintains expression of Lhx6 and differentiate into mature GABAergic interneurons expressing the neuropeptide somatostatin (Sst) or the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin (Pv) (9, 10). The remaining precursors induce expression of the LIM HD protein Isl1, down-regulate Lhx6, and differentiate into CSIs (8). In adult animals, all ...

Ror2 is a receptor tyrosine kinase mutated in the human syndromes Brachydactyly type B (BDB) and recessive Robinow syndrome (RS). In this study, we used the chick as a model to investigate the role of Ror2 in skeletogenesis and to elucidate the functional consequences of Ror2 mutations. For this purpose, we cloned chicken Ror2 and analyzed its expression pattern at various embryonic stages by in situ hybridization and immunolabeling. We document expression of cRor2 in several organs, including mesonephros, heart, nervous system, intestine and cartilage.

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