Overexpression of neurogenin induces ectopic expression of HuC in zebrafish

Several basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors are known to be involved in vertebrate neurogenesis. To investigate their roles in zebrafish neurogenesis, we isolated cDNAs for homologues of neurogenin and Math(-1)/atonal. The transcription of neurogenin was first detectable in zebrafish nervous system at late gastrulation stage. The expression of zebrafish neurogenin precedes and overlaps that of HuC, one of the earliest neuronal precursor markers. Injection of neurogenin mRNA into early stage zebrafish embryos induced ectopic expression of HuC. These results suggest that neurogenin may participate in the generation of HuC-expressing cells, implying its role in neuronal determination in zebrafish.