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Master Transcription Regulators

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...

General Transcription Factors

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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...

Transcription Factors

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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...

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During embryogenesis, cells become progressively committed to different fates through a two-step process: specification followed by determination. Specification is demonstrated by removing a segment of an early embryo, “neutrally” culturing the tissue in vitro—for example, in a petri dish with simple medium—and then observing the derivatives. If the cultured region gives rise to cell types that it would normally generate in the embryo, this means that it is specified. In contrast, determination...

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Reprogramming Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts with Transcription Factors to Induce a Hemogenic Program

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The transcription factor MEF2 directs developmental visually driven functional and structural metaplasticity.

Simon Xuan Chen¹, Angus Cherry, Parisa Karimi Tari

¹Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

|October 2, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Sensory experience shapes developing neurons by coordinating structural and functional changes. The transcription factor MEF2A/2D regulates this plasticity, with its degradation fine-tuning neural circuit formation.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Developmental Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Natural sensory input influences neuronal development, but the interplay between experience-driven structural and functional plasticity is not well understood.
Early life experiences are critical for shaping neural circuits, impacting both the physical structure and activity patterns of neurons.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how visual stimulation affects neuronal structure and function in the developing brain.
To identify key molecular regulators of experience-dependent neuronal plasticity.
To elucidate the mechanisms by which sensory input fine-tunes plasticity thresholds during neural circuit formation.

Main Methods:

Utilized rapid time-lapse two-photon calcium imaging in unanesthetized, developing brains.
Monitored network activity and single-neuron growth concurrently.
Investigated the role of the transcription factor MEF2A/2D and its degradation pathway.

Main Results:

Visual stimulation induced coordinated changes in neuronal responses and dendritogenesis.
The transcription factor MEF2A/2D was identified as a crucial regulator of both structural and functional plasticity.
Sensory stimuli triggered MEF2A/2D degradation via an apoptotic pathway involving NMDA receptors, caspases-9, and -3/7.
MEF2A/2D knockdown alone induced metaplasticity, altering functional and morphological plasticity thresholds.

Conclusions:

Sensory experience dynamically regulates neuronal plasticity through coordinated structural and functional changes.
MEF2A/2D acts as a central molecular switch, integrating sensory input to control plasticity thresholds.
The degradation of MEF2A/2D is a key mechanism by which the brain adapts to sensory experience during development.