Department of Life Systems, Institute of Technology and Science, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan.
Dev Dyn. 2010 Oct;239(10):2647-58. doi: 10.1002/dvdy.22403.
The diencephalon is the embryonic anlagen of the higher integration centers of the brain. Recent studies have elucidated how the cells in the rostral diencephalon acquire their regional identities. However, the understanding of the mechanisms under which the caudal diencephalon is formed is still limited. Here we focus on the role of Autotaxin (ATX), a lysophospholipid-generating exoenzyme, whose mRNA is detected in the caudal diencephalon. RNA interference against ATX altered the expression pattern of Pax6-regualted genes, Tcf4, Lim1, and En1, implying that ATX is required for the maintenance of the regional identity of the caudal diencephalon and the diencephalon-mesencephalon boundary (DMB). Furthermore, ATX-RNAi inhibited neuroepithelial cell proliferation on both sides of the DMB. We propose a dual role of ATX in chick brain development, in which ATX not only contributes to the formation of caudal diencephalon as a short-range signal, but also regulates the growth of mesencephalon as a long-range signal.
间脑是大脑高级整合中心的胚胎前体。最近的研究阐明了头侧间脑细胞如何获得其区域身份。然而，对于间脑尾部形成的机制的理解仍然有限。在这里，我们专注于 Autotaxin（ATX）的作用，ATX 是一种产生溶血磷脂的外切酶，其 mRNA 在间脑尾部被检测到。针对 ATX 的 RNA 干扰改变了 Pax6 调节基因 Tcf4、Lim1 和 En1 的表达模式，这表明 ATX 对于维持间脑尾部和间脑-中脑边界（DMB）的区域身份是必需的。此外，ATX-RNAi 抑制了 DMB 两侧的神经上皮细胞增殖。我们提出了 ATX 在鸡脑发育中的双重作用，其中 ATX 不仅作为短程信号有助于间脑尾部的形成，而且作为长程信号调节中脑的生长。
