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Aberrant expression of Pax-2 in Danforth's short tail (Sd) mice
1Laboratory of Mammalian Genes and Development, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Developmental Biology
|May 1, 1993
Summary
Pax-2 gene expression is crucial for spinal cord and kidney development. Floor plate signals influence Pax-2, impacting dorsal-ventral patterning and excretory system formation in mice.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Genetics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Pax-2 is a transcription factor vital for kidney and spinal cord development.
- Danforth's short tail (Sd) mice lack a notochord, affecting floor plate induction and downstream gene expression.
- Understanding Pax-2 regulation provides insights into developmental signaling pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of floor plate signals in regulating Pax-2 expression during spinal cord development.
- To examine Pax-2 expression patterns in the developing excretory system of Sd mice.
- To elucidate the influence of the notochord/floor plate on Pax-2 function in development.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Pax-2-specific antibodies for immunohistochemical analysis in homozygous Danforth's short tail mice.
- Examined Pax-2 expression in both the spinal cord and developing excretory system.
- Correlated Pax-2 expression patterns with the presence or absence of notochord and floor plate structures.
Main Results:
- Normal Pax-2 expression in anterior spinal cord sections, but ectopic expression in the ventral basal plate of regions lacking floor plate.
- Pax-2 expression was normal in anterior excretory system structures (mesonephros, mesonephric duct).
- Pax-2 was not expressed in uninduced metanephric mesenchyme, indicating delayed activation by ureter signals.
Conclusions:
- Pax-2 expression domains are significantly influenced by floor plate-derived signals.
- Pax-2 plays a role in the dorsal-ventral patterning of the spinal cord.
- Activation of Pax-2 in metanephric mesenchyme is an early response to inductive signals from the ureter, highlighting its importance in kidney development.