Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 13, 2026
10:10
HOX Loci Focused CRISPR/sgRNA Library Screening Identifying Critical CTCF Boundaries
Published on: March 31, 2019
8.7K
Bidirectional interaction between protocadherin 8 and the transcription factor Dbx1 regulates cerebral cortex
Andrzej W Cwetsch1,2,3, Sofia Ferreira1,2, Elodie Delberghe1,2
1Université Paris Cité, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM U1266, Team Genetics and Development of the Cerebral Cortex, 75014 Paris, France.
Development (Cambridge, England)
|January 6, 2026
Summary
This study reveals a surprising bidirectional relationship between the Dbx1 transcription factor and Pcdh8 cell adhesion molecule during brain development. This interaction unexpectedly influences neuronal identity, cell aggregation, and tissue patterning.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Proper brain development relies on precise tissue patterning and cell-type specification.
- Transcription factors regulate gene expression for neuronal subtype identity.
- Cell adhesion molecules are crucial for cell sorting, migration, and synaptogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between transcription factors and cell adhesion molecules in brain development.
- To explore the functional consequences of ectopic Dbx1 expression on cell adhesion and neuronal identity.
- To determine if cell adhesion molecules can reciprocally regulate transcription factor activity and developmental patterning.
Main Methods:
- Ectopic expression of Dbx1 in developing neural tissues.
- Analysis of Pcdh8 expression, cell aggregation, and neuronal identity markers.
- Investigation of Notch signaling pathway involvement in response to Pcdh8 expression.
Main Results:
- Ectopic Dbx1 expression induced spatiotemporally restricted Pcdh8 expression and cell aggregation.
- Ectopic Pcdh8 expression was found to induce Dbx1 expression.
- Pcdh8 influenced apico-basal polarity and dorso-ventral patterning via Notch signaling.
Conclusions:
- Cell adhesion molecules, specifically Pcdh8, are unexpected regulators of cell identity.
- A bidirectional interaction between Dbx1 and Pcdh8 governs neuronal identity and tissue patterning.
- This study redefines the role of cell adhesion molecules in developmental regulation.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Cadherins in Tissue Organization
3.9K
The cadherins are a superfamily of cell adhesion molecules comprising over 180 variants, with specific tissues expressing a particular combination of cadherin types. Cadherins generally exhibit homophilic binding; i.e., cadherins on one cell bind to cadherins of the same or closely related type on another cell. Thus, cells of the same type have a specific affinity to bind to each other and sort themselves into clusters to form tissues.
Cell Sorting During Development
Cell sorting plays an...
Cell Sorting During Development
Cell sorting plays an...
3.9K
01:51Determination
20.7K
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...
20.7K
02:33Hedgehog Signaling Pathway
9.8K
The Hedgehog gene (Hh) was first discovered due to its control of the growth of disorganized, hair-like bristles phenotype in Drosophila, much like hedgehog spines. Hh plays a crucial role in the development of organs and the maintenance of homeostasis in both invertebrates and vertebrates. However, while Drosophila has only one Hh protein, mammals have multiple functional Hedgehog proteins - Sonic (Shh), Desert (Dhh), and Indian Hedgehog (Ihh). All of these homologous proteins have adapted to...
9.8K
03:14Notch Signaling Pathway
6.4K
The Notch signaling pathway is a major intracellular signaling pathway that is highly conserved over a broad spectrum of metazoan species. It stands unique from other intracellular signaling mechanisms in animals because notch protein itself acts as the receptor as well as the primary signaling molecule.
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not...
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not...
6.4K
01:33Pleiotropy
43.2K
Pleiotropy is the phenomenon in which a single gene impacts multiple, seemingly unrelated phenotypic traits. For example, defects in the SOX10 gene cause Waardenburg Syndrome Type 4, or WS4, which can cause defects in pigmentation, hearing impairments, and an absence of intestinal contractions necessary for elimination. This diversity of phenotypes results from the expression pattern of SOX10 in early embryonic and fetal development. SOX10 is found in neural crest cells that form melanocytes,...
43.2K
01:30General Transcription Factors
6.7K
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...
6.7K