Role of Olf-1 and Pax-6 Transcription Factors in Neurodevelopment

Abstract

The Olf-1 transcription factor is expressed in olfactory sensory neurons where it regulates the expression of genes that encode components of the odorant signal transduction cascade and contributes to the terminal phenotype of these sensory neurons. We examined the pattern of expression of Olf-1 protein during mouse embryogenesis and observed Olf-1 expression transiently in a subset of neural precursor cells in the CNS and peripheral nervous system. The expression of Olf-1 protein was enriched in sensory components and coincided with postmitotic cells and the initiation of overt differentiation within the nervous system. The spatial and temporal patterns of Olf-1 expression during development suggest a role in neurogenesis that is common among different neural cell types. In parallel, the expression pattern of Pax-6, a transcription factor that is widely expressed in the developing nervous system, including the visual and olfactory systems, was examined with a C-terminal antibody. In the retina, Pax-6 protein is detected in the lens, the cornea, and the neural and pigmented retinas. In the olfactory epithelium, Pax-6 protein is expressed exclusively in cells of non-neuronal lineage, including sustentacular cells, basal cells, and Bowman's glands. The nonoverlapping, cellular localization patterns of Pax-6 and Olf-1 demarcate distinct cell lineages within the developing olfactory epithelium.

Notch 2 and Notch 1/3 segregate to neuronal and glial lineages of the developing olfactory epithelium

“…3E,F) and Notch 2 (with Numb), throughout sustentacular cells (Figs. 4D-H, 6D-F), which also express Hes-1 and Pax 6 (Davis and Reed, 1996;Manglapus et al, 2004). The recurring correlation of Notch 2 and Hes-1 in distinct cell types of the OE suggests that, as in the CNS, similar signals may give rise to distinct developmental outcomes (maintenance of progenitor phenotype, vs. a mature physical phenotype), at different stages of OE maturity.…”

S‐phase duration is the main target of cell cycle regulation in neural progenitors of developing ferret neocortex

“…The specificity of the Pax6 antibody was characterized by western blot on mouse brain, recognizing two closely migrating bands around 50 kDa (Davis and Reed, 1996). The pattern of Tbr2 staining we observed in our experiments was consistently similar to that described in previous ferret studies (Fietz et al, 2010; Poluch and Juliano, 2015; Reillo et al, 2011), irrespective of manufacturer and host species.…”

Continuous expression of the homeobox gene Pax6 in the ageing human retina

“…For immunodetection, polyclonal rabbit antisera directed against PAX6 were applied. 13 After application of HRP-conjugated secondary antibodies, immunoreactivity was visualized using the Renaissance-Western blot detection kit (Perkin-Elmer Life Sciences, Emeryville, USA).…”