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Fig. 1. HH signaling is necessary for cell-fate specification in the ventral
midbrain. For orientation and embryonic ages, see Materials and methods.
(A) At E5, EGFP-electroporated (right side) controls do not
show disruptions in the rostral floor plate (rFP; SHH+, brown) or in
midbrain arc pattern formation. Midbrain arcs are marked by the homeobox (HX,
blue) gene expression of PHOX2A in the first arc (1), PAX6
(P6) and EVX1 (E1). (B) Blockade of FOXA2 (brown)
expression following unilateral
Ptc1
loop2 (blue)
electroporation (right side). (C) Re-specification of ventral cell
fates (marked by HX genes, blue) into dorsal (PAX7+, brown,
arrowhead) cell fates. (D,E). Blockade and bi-directional spread
of PHOX2A+ (brown) oculomotor complex neurons following bilateral
electroporation (E) of
Ptc1
loop2 (blue). Compare E
with EGFP-electroporated controls (D). D and E are photographed at
the same magnification. (E) Note the lack (caudally, arrowhead) of overlap
between PHOX2A and
Ptc1
loop2 transgene expression.
Rostral cells (arrow) have extinguished their requirement for HH signaling by
this stage (see text). (F,G) Reduced expression and spread of
tyrosine hydroxylase (F, dopaminergic neurons), PAX6 (G, brown) and
EVX1 (G, blue) following unilateral HH blockade. (H)
Cross-section demonstrating the non-autonomous spread of PAX6+
(brown, arrowhead) cells following unilateral
Ptc1
loop2 (blue)
electroporation. Note the presence of ectopic
PAX6+/Ptc1
loop2+ cells (arrow,
see text). (I,J) E8 whole mounts electroproated at H&H stage
10, demonstrating that, compared to EGFP controls (I), cell spread following
HH blockade (J) increases with time (compare with the E5 brains in D and E)
and is multidirectional. Blue, TH (arrowheads); brown, ISL1+
motor neurons; 1, first arc; III, third ventricle; bi, bilateral
electroporation; E1, EVX1; EP, electroporated; P6, PAX6; HX,
homeobox expression of PHOX2A, PAX6, EVX1; MHB, midbrain-hindbrain
boundary; rFP, rostral floor plate; TH, tyrosine hydroxylase; tec, tectum.