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Extracellular Pax6 Regulates Tangential Cajal-Retzius Cell Migration in the Developing Mouse Neocortex
H Kaddour1,2,3,4, E Coppola2,3,4, A A Di Nardo1
1Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité mixte de recherche 7241/Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale U1050, Paris Science Lettre University, Labex MemoLife, Collège de France, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, Paris, France.
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|June 18, 2019
Summary
Secreted Pax6 protein guides developing neurons. Blocking it disrupts their migration patterns, revealing Pax6
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Pax6 is a crucial transcription factor in embryonic mouse cortex development.
- Pax6 exhibits both cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous functions.
- Cajal-Retzius (CR) neurons are vital for cortical development and migration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the non-cell-autonomous role of Pax6 in Cajal-Retzius (CR) neuron migration.
- To analyze how extracellular Pax6 influences the tangential migration of CR neurons.
- To determine if secreted Pax6 acts as a morphogen in early cerebral cortex development.
Main Methods:
- Genetic induction of anti-Pax6 single-chain antibody secretion in embryonic mice.
- Live imaging of flat-mount developing cerebral cortices.
- Tracking of individual CR cells in mutant cortices to analyze migration patterns.
Main Results:
- Blocking extracellular Pax6 significantly disrupted tangential CR neuron migration.
- CR cell migration distance decreased, and directionality and depth were altered.
- Extracellular Pax6 neutralization modulated contact repulsion differently in medial and lateral cortical regions.
Conclusions:
- Secreted Pax6 plays a critical role in controlling neuronal migration and distribution during early cerebral cortex development.
- Pax6 functions as a bona fide morphogen, guiding neuronal positioning.
- Understanding Pax6's role is key to deciphering the mechanisms of brain development.
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