Expression of the Vax family homeobox genes suggests multiple roles in eye development

Ohsaki, Kanae; Morimitsu, Toshiharu; Ishida, Yasushi; Kominami, Ryo; Takahashi, Nobutaka

doi:10.1046/j.1365-2443.1999.00257.x

Cited by 52 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Vax2OS is selectively expressed in rod photoreceptors and, uniquely for rod-enriched transcripts, at higher levels in ventral than in dorsal retina. This is reminiscent of the embryonic expression pattern of Vax2, which is confined to ventral retinal progenitors (Barbieri et al, 1999;Ohsaki et al, 1999). Vax2 is weakly expressed in the outer nuclear layer of the adult retina, with RNA accumulating in the outer plexiform layer, and thus is also likely to overlap with Vax2OS in adult retina.…”

Section: Homeodomain-associated Opposite Strand Transcripts (Hosts)mentioning

confidence: 87%

New meaning in the message: Noncoding RNAs and their role in retinal development

Rapicavoli

Blackshaw

2009

Developmental Dynamics

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Recent studies have indicated that non-protein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) may play prominent and diverse roles in the development of the nervous system. These ncRNAs are now known to perform a broad range of cellular functions, and in particular appear to be prominent players in the regulation of transcription and translation. In this review, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of the role of ncRNAs in vertebrate retinal development. Noncoding RNAs that are known or suspected to play a functional role in the specification and maturation of retinal cell subtypes include miRNAs, long noncoding opposite-strand transcripts (OSTs), and other long ncRNAs such as Tug1 and RNCR2. Though the mechanism of action of most of these ncRNAs is still largely unclear, it is likely that these molecules represent a major, and thus far largely unappreciated, component of the molecular machinery involved in retinal cell fate specification.

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Section: Homeodomain-associated Opposite Strand Transcripts (Hosts)mentioning

confidence: 87%

New meaning in the message: Noncoding RNAs and their role in retinal development

Rapicavoli

Blackshaw

2009

Developmental Dynamics

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“…Vax1 is expressed in the neurogenic areas of the postnatal brain Vax genes have been proven fundamental transcription factors for eye development (Bertuzzi et al, 1999;Hallonet et al, 1999;Ohsaki et al, 1999;Schulte et al, 1999;Barbieri et al, 2002;Take-uchi et al, 2003). More recently, Vax1 was shown to play an important role in subcortical telencephalon development (Hallonet et al, 1999;Taglialatela et al, 2004); however, the expression and the possible function of Vax1 in the postnatal brain was never addressed before.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Defective Postnatal Neurogenesis and Disorganization of the Rostral Migratory Stream in Absence of theVax1Homeobox Gene

Soria¹,

Taglialatela²,

Gil-Perotín³

et al. 2004

J. Neurosci.

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The subventricular zone (SVZ) is one of the sources of adult neural stem cells (ANSCs) in the mouse brain. Precursor cells proliferate in the SVZ and migrate through the rostral migratory stream (RMS) to the olfactory bulb (OB), where they differentiate into granule and periglomerular cells. Few transcription factors are known to be responsible for regulating NSC proliferation, migration, and differentiation processes; even fewer have been found to be responsible for the organization of the SVZ and RMS. For this reason, we studied the ventral anterior homeobox (Vax1) gene in NSC proliferation and in SVZ organization. We found that Vax1 is strongly expressed in the SVZ and in the RMS and that, in the absence of Vax1, embryonic precursor cells proliferate 100 times more than wild-type controls, in vitro. The SVZ of Vax1 Ϫ/Ϫ brains is hyperplastic and mostly disorganized, and the RMS is missing, causing a failure of precursor cell migration to the OBs, which as a result are severely hypoplastic. Moreover, we found that Vax1 is essential for the correct differentiation of ependyma and astrocytes.Together, these data indicate that Vax1 is a potent regulator of SVZ organization and NSC proliferation, with important consequences on postnatal neurogenesis.

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“…Several retina-specific molecules are expressed during this time in development and have been shown to be involved in this process. They include the transcription factor cVax/mVax2 and the BMP antagonist ventroptin in the ventral eye anlage as well as T-box transcription factors dorsally (Barbieri et al, 1999;Ohsaki et al, 1999;Schulte et al, 1999;Koshiba-Takeuchi et al, 2000;Sakuta et al, 2001;Sowden et al, 2001). The nearly coincident establishment of the DV axis and the appearance of the ventral pattern of expression of cVax might suggest that cVax is higher in the hierarchy of pattern formation than are FoxG1, SOHo1, and GH6, which occur later than AP axis specification.…”

Section: Molecular Mechanisms Specifying Rod Photoreceptor Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This was followed slightly later by expression of the homeodomain protein mHmx1/cGH6 and the related protein SOHo-1 in the anterior optic cup of chick and medaka (Deitcher et al, 1994;Hatini et al, 1994;Stadler and Solursh, 1994;Adamska et al, 2001). Expression of the homeodomain protein cVax/mVax2 is observed in the ventral optic vesicle, whereas members of the T-box family of transcription factors can be observed in the dorsal optic vesicle (Gibson-Brown et al, 1998;Barbieri et al, 1999;Ohsaki et al, 1999). As shown by gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies, these molecules determine positional specification of RGCs and consequently control the expression of axon guidance cues and the formation of the retinotectal map (Yuasa et al, 1996;Schulte et al, 1999;Koshiba-Takeuchi et al, 2000;Schulte and Cepko, 2000;Barbieri et al, 2002;Mui et al, 2002;Takahashi et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Rod Photoreceptor Pattern Is Set at the Optic Vesicle Stage and Requires Spatially RestrictedcVaxExpression

Schulte¹,

Peters²,

Sen³

et al. 2005

J. Neurosci.

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How and when positional identities in the neural retina are established have been addressed primarily with respect to the topographic projections of retinal ganglion cells onto their targets in the brain. Although retinotectal map formation is a prominent manifestation of retinal patterning, it is not the only one. Photoreceptor subtypes are arranged in distinct, species-specific patterns. The mechanisms used to establish photoreceptor patterns have been relatively unexplored at the mechanistic level. We performed ablations of the eye anlage in chickens and found that removal of the anterior or dorsal optic vesicle caused loss of the area centralis, which is a rod-free central area of the retina, and severely disorganized other aspects of the rod pattern. These observations indicate that the anteroposterior and dorsoventral distribution of rods is determined by the optic vesicle stage. To investigate the molecular mechanisms involved, the rod distribution was analyzed after viral misexpression of several patterning genes that were previously shown to be important in positional specification of retinal ganglion cells. Ectopic expression of FoxG1, SOHo1, or GH6 transcription factors expressed in the anterior optic vesicle and/or optic cup, respectively, did not affect the rod pattern. This pattern therefore appears to be specified by an activity acting before, or in parallel with, these factors. In contrast, misexpression of the ventrally restricted transcription factor, cVax, severely disturbed the rod pattern.

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Expression of the Vax family homeobox genes suggests multiple roles in eye development

Abstract: Background: Homeobox gene products are thought to regulate target genes involved in the regional specification of tissues and organs. Several genes play roles in eye development.

Cited by 52 publications

References 33 publications

New meaning in the message: Noncoding RNAs and their role in retinal development

New meaning in the message: Noncoding RNAs and their role in retinal development

Defective Postnatal Neurogenesis and Disorganization of the Rostral Migratory Stream in Absence of theVax1Homeobox Gene

The Rod Photoreceptor Pattern Is Set at the Optic Vesicle Stage and Requires Spatially RestrictedcVaxExpression

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