Dbx1 is a dorsal midbrain-specific determinant of GABAergic neuron fate and regulates differentiation of the dorsal midbrain into the inferior and superior colliculi.

ABSTRACT: The mechanism underlying the differentiation of the dorsal midbrain into two morphologically and functionally distinct compartments, the inferior colliculus (IC) and superior colliculus (SC), which process auditory and visual information, respectively, remains largely unexplored. By using null and conditional alleles, we uncover the roles of a homeodomain transcription factor Dbx1 in the regulation of IC and SC differentiation. We show that Dbx1 regulates GABAergic neuron development in the dorsal midbrain. In the absence of Dbx1 function, the dorsal-most m1-m2 progenitor domains in the midbrain fail to activate GABAergic neuron-specific gene expression and instead switch to a glutamatergic phenotype. These results identify Dbx1 as a dorsal midbrain-specific GAB

SUBMITTER: Tran HN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10853453 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature