Novitch B G, Chen A I, Jessell T M
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, 701 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
Neuron. 2001 Sep 13;31(5):773-89. doi: 10.1016/s0896-6273(01)00407-x.
Within the developing vertebrate nervous system, the mechanisms that coordinate neuronal subtype identity with generic features of neuronal differentiation are poorly defined. We show here that a bHLH protein, Olig2, is expressed selectively by motor neuron progenitors and has a key role in specifying the subtype identity and pan-neuronal properties of developing motor neurons. The role of Olig2 in the specification of motor neuron subtype identity depends on regulatory interactions with progenitor homeodomain proteins, whereas its role in promoting pan-neuronal properties is associated with expression of another bHLH protein, Ngn2. Both aspects of Olig2 function appear to depend on its activity as a transcriptional repressor. Together, these studies show that Olig2 has a critical role in integrating diverse features of motor neuron differentiation in the developing spinal cord.
在发育中的脊椎动物神经系统内，协调神经元亚型身份与神经元分化一般特征的机制尚未明确。我们在此表明，一种bHLH蛋白Olig2，由运动神经元祖细胞选择性表达，并且在确定发育中运动神经元的亚型身份和泛神经元特性方面具有关键作用。Olig2在运动神经元亚型身份确定中的作用取决于与祖细胞同源域蛋白的调控相互作用，而其在促进泛神经元特性方面的作用与另一种bHLH蛋白Ngn2的表达相关。Olig2功能的这两个方面似乎都依赖于其作为转录抑制因子的活性。这些研究共同表明，Olig2在整合发育中脊髓运动神经元分化的多种特征方面具有关键作用。
