Spatiotemporally separable Shh domains in the midbrain define distinct dopaminergic progenitor pools.

ABSTRACT: Midbrain dopamine neurons (mDA) are important regulators of diverse physiological functions, including movement, attention, and reward behaviors. Accordingly, aberrant function of dopamine neurons underlies a wide spectrum of disorders, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), dystonia, and schizophrenia. The distinct functions of the dopamine system are carried out by neuroanatomically discrete subgroups of dopamine neurons, which differ in gene expression, axonal projections, and susceptibility in PD. The developmental underpinnings of this heterogeneity are undefined. We have recently shown that in the embryonic CNS, mDA originate from the midbrain floor plate, a ventral midline structure that is operationally defined by the expression of the molecule Shh. Here, we develop these findings to re

SUBMITTER: Joksimovic M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2776440 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature