Gene expression profile of embryonic retinas expressing c-hairy1, Delta-1, or Wnt2b

ABSTRACT: Expression profile of embryonic retinas expressing exogenous c-hairy1, Delta-1, or Wnt2b. These genes inhibits neuronal differentiation, and the results provide insight into the mechanism that keeps retinal progenitor cells undifferentiated. In the vertebrate retina, stem cell-like progenitor cells are maintained in a distinct region, called the ciliary marginal zone (CMZ). Canonical Wnt signaling regulates the maintenance of the progenitor cells in the CMZ. However, its downstream molecular mechanisms have remained largely unclear. Here, we show that c-hairy1, an established Notch signaling effector, mediates the Wnt-dependent maintenance of CMZ progenitor cells in chickens. Interestingly, unlike other developmental contexts where Hes gene expression is regulated by Notch signaling, the c-hairy1 expression in the CMZ is regulated by Wnt signaling. c-hairy1 is necessary and sufficient for the expression of a set of molecular markers characteristic of the CMZ, and Wnt2b fails to induce CMZ markers when c-hairy1 activity is inhibited. Furthermore, microarray analysis identifies multiple Wnt-responsive transcription factors that activate c-hairy1 expression. We thus propose that c-hairy1 functions as a node downstre am of Wnt signaling to maintain progenitor cells in the CMZ. Total RNA was purified from E6.5 retinas transfected either with c-hairy1, Wnt2b, Delta, or mock-expressing RCAS plasmid using Trizol reagent (Invitrogen). Microarray analysis using Gene Chip Chicken Genome Array (Affymetrix) was performed according to the manufacturer’s protocols. Data were analyzed using GCOS (Affymetrix) and dChip (Li and Wong, 2001). GCOS and dChip produced similar results. The data submitted is from GCOS. To explore candidates for new Wnt target genes, genes with higher expression in Wnt2b-expressing retina than control or Delta1-expressing retinas were selected for further analysis.

ORGANISM(S): Gallus gallus

SUBMITTER: Shinichi Nakagawa 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-15382 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress