Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Whole-mount Imaging of Mouse Embryo Sensory Axon Projections
08:37

Whole-mount Imaging of Mouse Embryo Sensory Axon Projections

Published on: December 9, 2014

The Runx1/AML1 transcription factor selectively regulates development and survival of TrkA nociceptive sensory

Frédéric Marmigère1, Andreas Montelius, Michael Wegner

  • 1Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Karolinska Institute, MBB, Scheeles väg 1, Stockholm, Sweden.

Nature Neuroscience
|January 24, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Runx1 transcription factor promotes sensory neuron development and axonal growth. It is crucial for TrkA(+) nociceptive neuron subclass establishment in neural crest cells.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Neuroscience
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Neural crest cells (NCCs) differentiate into diverse neuronal types.
  • Neurogenin-2 (a proneural gene) promotes sensory fate but not specific subclasses.
  • Trk receptors (TrkA, TrkB, TrkC) are differentially expressed in sensory neuron subpopulations, indicating their role in sensory diversity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate the gene cascades regulating Trk gene activation for sensory neuron diversity.
  • Determine the role of the Runt transcription factor Runx1 in NCC differentiation and TrkA expression.

Main Methods:

  • Chick and mouse models were used.
  • Analysis of Runx1 expression and function in migratory NCCs.
  • Assays for TrkA transactivation, gene expression, and neuronal survival.

Main Results:

  • Runx1 promotes axonal growth and is selectively expressed in TrkA(+) sensory neurons.
  • Runx1 mediates TrkA transactivation in migratory NCCs.
  • Runx1 inhibition reduces TrkA expression and causes neuronal death.
  • Runx1 overexpression inhibits multipotency but requires neurogenin-2 for neuronal differentiation.
  • Runx1 directs the establishment of the TrkA(+) nociceptive neuron subclass.

Conclusions:

  • Runx1 plays a context-dependent role in specifying TrkA(+) nociceptive neurons.
  • Runx1 acts downstream of neurogenin-2 to regulate TrkA expression and neuronal subtype specification.

More Related Videos

Investigation of the Transcriptional Role of a RUNX1 Intronic Silencer by CRISPR/Cas9 Ribonucleoprotein in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells09:16

Investigation of the Transcriptional Role of a RUNX1 Intronic Silencer by CRISPR/Cas9 Ribonucleoprotein in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells

Published on: September 1, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Enzyme-linked Receptors01:00

Enzyme-linked Receptors

Enzyme-linked receptors are proteins that act as both receptor and enzyme, activating multiple intracellular signals. This is a large group of receptors that include the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) family. Many growth factors and hormones bind to and activate the RTKs.
Neurotrophin (NT) receptors are a family of RTKs, including trkA, trkB, and trkC (tropomyosin-related kinase) receptors. TrkA is specific for nerve growth factor (NGF), neurotrophin-6, and neurotrophin-7. TrkB binds...
MAPK Signaling Cascades01:07

MAPK Signaling Cascades

Mitogen-activated protein kinase, or MAPK pathway, activates three sequential kinases to regulate cellular responses such as proliferation, differentiation, survival, and apoptosis. The canonical MAPK pathway starts with a mitogen or growth factor binding to an RTK. The activated RTKs stimulate Ras, which recruits Raf or MAP3 Kinase (MAPKKK), the first kinase of the MAPK signaling cascade. Raf further phosphorylates and activates MEK or MAP2 Kinases (MAPKK), which in turn phosphorylates MAP...
Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway02:54

Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway

The gene encoding the main signaling molecules of the Wnt signaling pathways (the Wnt proteins) was discovered almost four decades ago by Nüsslein-Volhard and Wieschaus. They identified and originally named the gene "wingless" (wg) after a phenotype discovered during their landmark genetic screen in Drosophila for body pattern defects. At around the same time, another researcher named Harold Varmus found that a murine tumor virus activates the mammalian wg homolog, Int-1, which results in tumor...
Master Transcription Regulators02:23

Master 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...
lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs02:39

lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs

In humans, more than 80% of the genome gets transcribed. However, only around 2% of the genome codes for proteins. The remaining part produces non-coding RNAs which includes ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs, telomerase RNAs, and regulatory RNAs, among other types. A large number of regulatory non-coding RNAs have been classified into two groups depending upon their length – small non-coding RNAs, such as microRNA, which are less than 200 nucleotides in length, and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)...