Engrailed-1 expression marks a primitive class of inhibitory spinal interneuron.

ABSTRACT: Studies in chicks and mice have suggested that transcription factors mark functional subtypes of interneurons in the developing spinal cord. We used genetic, morphological, and physiological studies to test this proposed association in zebrafish. We found that Engrailed-1 expression uniquely marks a class of ascending interneurons, called circumferential ascending (CiA) interneurons, with ipsilateral axonal projections in both motor and sensory regions of spinal cord. These cells express the glycine transporter 2 gene and are the only known ipsilateral interneurons positive for this marker of inhibitory transmission. Patch recordings show that the CiA neurons are rhythmically active during swimming. Pairwise recordings from the CiA interneurons and postsynaptic cells reveal that the Engrai

SUBMITTER: Higashijima S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6729218 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature