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Updated: Jul 24, 2026
04:59
Spinal Cord Electrophysiology
Published on: January 18, 2010
Transcriptional networks regulating neuronal identity in the developing spinal cord
1Gene Expression Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 N. Torrey Pines Rd., La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
Nature Neuroscience
|November 1, 2001
Summary
This review explores transcriptional networks in the developing spinal cord. It highlights a
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- The spinal cord contains distinct sensory and motor neurons crucial for nervous system function.
- Its relative simplicity makes it a model for studying central nervous system circuit assembly.
- Early embryonic neural tubes have multipotent cells specified by cell-cell signaling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review progress in understanding transcriptional networks in spinal cord development.
- To focus on molecular mechanisms specifying neurons involved in locomotor control.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on spinal cord development.
- Analysis of transcriptional networks and cell-cell signaling pathways.
- Emphasis on transcription factors in neuronal specification.
Main Results:
- Identified key transcriptional networks activated by cell-cell interactions.
- Highlighted the role of specific transcription factors in neuronal fate specification.
- Many identified transcription factors function as transcriptional inhibitors.
Conclusions:
- A 'derepression' model explains cell fate specification in the developing spinal cord.
- Transcriptional networks are critical for establishing spinal cord circuitry.
- Understanding these networks advances knowledge of central nervous system development.
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01:10Transcription
Overview
Transcription is the process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA sequence by RNA polymerase. It is the first step in producing a protein from a gene sequence. Additionally, many other proteins and regulatory sequences are involved in the proper synthesis of messenger RNA (mRNA). Regulation of transcription is responsible for the differentiation of all the different types of cells and often for the proper cellular response to environmental signals.
Transcription Can Produce Different Kinds...
Transcription is the process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA sequence by RNA polymerase. It is the first step in producing a protein from a gene sequence. Additionally, many other proteins and regulatory sequences are involved in the proper synthesis of messenger RNA (mRNA). Regulation of transcription is responsible for the differentiation of all the different types of cells and often for the proper cellular response to environmental signals.
Transcription Can Produce Different Kinds...
02:23Master Transcription Regulators
Master transcription regulators are regulatory proteins that are predominantly responsible for regulating the expression of multiple genes. Often these genes work in concert to drive a complex process. Activation of a master transcription regulator can lead to a cascade of transcriptional activation necessary for that outcome. These regulators can directly bind to the regulatory sequences of the various genes involved, or they can indirectly regulate transcription by binding to regulatory...
01:17Transcription
Transcription is the synthesis of RNA from a DNA sequence by RNA polymerase. It is the first step in producing a protein from a gene sequence. Additionally, many other proteins and regulatory sequences are involved in correctly synthesizing messenger RNA (mRNA). Transcriptional regulation is responsible for the differentiation of different types of cells and often for the proper cellular response to environmental signals.
Transcription Can Produce Different Kinds of RNA Molecules
In eukaryotes,...
Transcription Can Produce Different Kinds of RNA Molecules
In eukaryotes,...
01:30General Transcription Factors
Tissue-specific transcription factors contribute to diverse cellular functions in mammals. For example, the gene for beta globin, a major component of hemoglobin, is present in all cells of the body. However, it is only expressed in red blood cells because the transcription factors that can bind to the promoter sequences of the beta globin gene are only expressed in these cells. Tissue-specific transcription factors also ensure that mutations in these factors may impair only the function of...
01:29Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming
Reprogramming alters the gene expression in somatic cells, transforming them into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells over several generations. Scientists can reprogram cells by introducing genes for four transcription factors—Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc (OSKM) by viral or non-viral methods. These factors are also known as Yamanaka factors after Shinya Yamanaka, who first generated iPS cells using mouse skin cells. Yamanaka was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012 for this...
01:24Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming
Nuclear reprogramming is a process of transforming one cell type into an unrelated cell type by epigenetic changes that alter the cell’s original gene expression pattern. Such epigenetic changes force cells to express a different set of genes, which play a significant role in inducing transformation into other cell types. Nuclear reprogramming offers applications in reproductive cloning for livestock propagation and regenerative medicine — developing patient-specific cells for injury repair.