Brn-1 and Brn-2 share crucial roles in the production and positioning of mouse neocortical neurons

  1. Yoshinobu Sugitani1,
  2. Shigeyasu Nakai1,
  3. Osamu Minowa1,2,
  4. Miyuki Nishi1,
  5. Kou-ichi Jishage1,
  6. Hitoshi Kawano3,
  7. Kensaku Mori4,
  8. Masaharu Ogawa5, and
  9. Tetsuo Noda1,2,6,7,8
  1. 1Department of Cell Biology, JFCR–Cancer Institute, Tokyo 170-8455, Japan; 2Mouse Functional Genomics Research Group, RIKEN Genomic Sciences Center, Kanagawa 244-0804, Japan; 3Department of Developmental Morphology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Neuroscience, Tokyo 183-8526, Japan; 4Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; 5Laboratory for Cell Culture Development, Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; 6Department of Molecular Genetics, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan; 7Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Corporation, Saitama 332-0012, Japan

Abstract

Formation of highly organized neocortical structure depends on the production and correct placement of the appropriate number and types of neurons. POU homeodomain proteins Brn-1 and Brn-2 are coexpressed in the developing neocortex, both in the late precursor cells and in the migrating neurons. Here we show that double disruption of bothBrn-1 and Brn-2 genes in mice leads to abnormal formation of the neocortex with dramatically reduced production of layer IV–II neurons and defective migration of neurons unable to express mDab1. These data indicate that Brn-1 and Brn-2 share roles in the production and positioning of neocortical neuron development.

Keywords

Footnotes

  • 8 Corresponding author.

  • E-MAIL tnoda{at}ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp; FAX 81-35-394-3893.

  • Article and publication are at http://www.genesdev.org/cgi/doi/10.1101/gad.978002.

    • Received January 22, 2002.
    • Accepted May 23, 2002.
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