QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

First published online October 14, 2004

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in Development Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Nkx6: specifying neural fate for millions of years

Nkx6 homeodomain proteins are involved in the development of the central nervous system (CNS) in insects and vertebrates. Now, two papers in this issue conclude that Nkx6 proteins have retained their ancestral role in neuronal fate specification over the 800 million years since insects and vertebrates diverged, despite their genes being regulated differently in the two groups of animals. On p. 5221, Cheesman and colleagues report that Nkx6 proteins have similar CNS expression patterns in Drosophila and zebrafish, and regulate motoneuron formation in both animals. They identify a zebrafish nkx6.1 gene and show that ectopic expression of fly or fish Nkx6 generates extra motoneurons in both species. By contrast, knockdown of Nkx6.1 protein in zebrafish reduces motoneuron formation and increases ventral interneuron formation. On p. 5233, Broihier and co-workers show that Nkx6 is a key factor in the specification of motoneuron subtype identity in Drosophila. By analysing hb9 Nkx6 double mutants, the researchers show that Nkx6 collaborates with the homeodomain protein Hb9 to specify ventrally projecting motoneuron fate and to repress dorsally projecting motoneuron fate. Nkx6 also promotes axonogenesis in Nkx6-positive motoneurons, a role that seems to be conserved in vertebrates.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

Related articles in Development:

Zebrafish and fly Nkx6 proteins have similar CNS expression patterns and regulate motoneuron formation

Sarah E. Cheesman, Michael J. Layden, Tonia Von Ohlen, Chris Q. Doe, and Judith S. Eisen
Development 2004 131: 5221-5232. [Abstract] [Full Text]  

Drosophila homeodomain protein Nkx6 coordinates motoneuron subtype identity and axonogenesis

Heather T. Broihier, Alexander Kuzin, Yi Zhu, Ward Odenwald, and James B. Skeath
Development 2004 131: 5233-5242. [Abstract] [Full Text]  

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in Development Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?