Spatially and Temporally Restricted Expression of Pax2 During Murine Neurogenesis
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Development 109, 797-809 (1990) 797 Printed in Great Britain ©The Company of Biologists Limited 1990 Spatially and temporally restricted expression of Pax2 during murine neurogenesis HOWARD O. NORNES*, GREGORY R. DRESSLERf, ELZBIETAW. KNAPIK, URBAN DEUTSCH and PETER GRUSS* Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, 3400 GOttingen, FRG *On leave from the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA t Present address: Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA X Corresponding author Summary The expression of the murine paired-box-containing optic cup and stalk and later to the optic disc and nerve. gene, Pax2, is examined in the developing central In the ear, expression is restricted to regions of the otic nervous system by in situ hybridization. Pax2 ex- vesicle that form neuronal components. The transient pression is detected along the boundaries of primary and restricted nature of Pax2 expression suggests that divisions of the neural tube. Initially, Pax2 is expressed this murine segmentation gene homologue may also in the ventricular zone in two compartments of cells on establish compartmental boundaries and contribute to either side of the sulcus limitans and along the entire the specification of neuronal identity, as do certain rhombencephalon and spinal cord. At later times, Pax2 Drosophila segmentation genes. is restricted to progeny cells that have migrated to specific regions of the intermediate zone. In the eye, Key words: neurogenesis, paired box, Pax, optic vesicle, Pax2 expression is restricted to the ventral half of the otic vesicle, mouse embryology. Introduction protein is expressed in a segmented pattern of seven stripes at the blastoderm stage and fifteen clusters of The mammalian central nervous system is a highly germ band nuclei in the developing nervous system at evolved network of interconnected cells designed to the early gastrulation stage (Carroll and Scott, 1985). In sense, store and process information. Implicit in its fact, a specific neurogenic regulatory element controls design is a precise architecture, the foundation of which ftz expression at this stage (Hiromi et al. 1985). More is laid down during embryogenesis. How the develop- recent experiments point to a defined transformation of ment of the mammalian nervous system is regulated a neuronal phentoype mftz mutants (Doe et al. 1988a). and what genes encode determining factors for cell and Similar observations were also made in temperature- positional specification remain unknown. However, sensitive mutants of the Drosophila pair-rule gene even- recent experiments with Drosophila embryos demon- skipped (eve) (Doe et al. 1988ft). These neurogenic strate that certain genes controlling the segmentation of functions are not exclusive to segmentation genes of the the embryo also affect neurogenesis and, in particular, pair-rule class, as the segment polarity mutants goose- neuronal identities (Doe et al. 1988a,b; Patel et al. berry, patched, cell and wingless also exhibit altered 1989). neuronal identities (Patel et al. 1989). Segmentation in Drosophila is controlled by the Many segmentation and homeotic genes of Dros- sequential activation of the gap, pair-rule and segment ophila share highly conserved protein domains that polarity genes (Niisslein-Volhard and Wieschaus, 1980; have enabled investigators to isolate vertebrate genes for review see Ingham, 1988; Akam, 1987; Scott and with similar domains (for reviews see: Dressier and Carroll, 1987). First expressed at the cellular blasto- Gruss, 1988; Wright et al. 1989). The Pax2 gene was derm stage, the Drosophila pair-rule genes are also identified (Dressier et al. 1990) through its homology to expressed during neurogenesis. Thus, a gene that func- the paired box found amongst the Drosophila segmen- tions in the establishment of a segmented body plan is tation genes paired, gooseberry-proximal, gooseberry- also required for nervous system development from the distal, Pox meso and Pox neuro (Bopp et al. 1986; 1989). neuroectoderm. For example, the fushi tarazu (ftz) The Pax2 gene is expressed in the developing excretory 798 H. O. Nornes and others system (Dressier et al. 1990), a transiently segmented plane of the spinal cord during two phases: the periods structure of mesodermal origin. In addition, this report of (1) neurogenesis and (2) post neurogenesis. Based on describes the spatial and temporal expression pattern of [3H]thymidine analysis, neurons in the mouse spinal Pax2 during neuronal differentiation in the central cord originate on days 9 to 13 (Nornes and Carry, 1978; nervous system, in defined regions of the otic vesicle, Sims and Vaugh, 1979; McConnell, 1981). During this and during morphogenesis and axonal elongation of the period, the pseudostratified cells in the neuroepi- optic cup and stalk. Thus Pax2 shares not only the thelium (ventricular zone) are mitotically active. In a conserved paired domain with some Drosophila seg- precise ventral-to-dorsal order, the cells stop cycling mentation genes, but also a similar biphasic expression mitotically, and migrate from the margin of the lumen pattern during morphogenesis of segmented structures radially to settle in the surrounding mantle layer (inter- and neurogenesis. mediate zone). For details on this pattern of cell kinetics in the developing mouse spinal cord refer to Nornes and Carry (1978). Materials and methods Pax2 expression during neurogenesis The procedure for in situ hybridization is as described in detail On day 10 of gestation, Pax2 hybridization is detected in the preceding report (Dressier et al. 1990). Pregnant in two regions of the ventricular zone, one on either females were sacrificed at 8-18 days post coitum (p.c); the side of the ventrodorsal midline, the sulcus limitans day of the vaginal plug was designated as day 0. (Fig. 2A,B). It is restricted to the basal region (distal to Both antisense and sense mRNA were synthesized from a lumen) of the neuroepithelium and is more extensive in unique Pax2 cDNA fragment downstream from the paired box sequence to prevent potential cross hybridization with the basal plate than in its counterpart in the alar plate. other paired box containing genes (Dressier et al. 1990). In In the basal plate, the silver grains extend further along addition, a mouse Hox 3.1 probe was used as a positive the ventrodorsal axis as well as further medially towards control (Breier et al. 1988). the apical (luminal) region of the neuroepithelial cells. Pax2 transcripts were never detected in the cells in the ventral 1/4 of the ventricular zone as well as in their Results progeny which settles in the most ventral and lateral intermediate zone and form motor neurons (Nornes The expression of Pax2 was analyzed in various stages and Carry, 1978). of mouse embryogenesis by in situ hybridization. Pax2 On day 11.0 of gestation, Pax2 transcripts in the transcripts were detected in embryo tissue sections from ventricular zone are still restricted to these same two days 9-18 post coitum and were restricted to four compartments bordering the sulcus limitans different epithelial structures: embryonic kidney, (Fig. 2C,D, arrow). The hybridization is more intense neural tube, optic and otic vesicles. Pax2 transcripts and extensive than on the previous day, particularly in were not detected in adult structures examined, includ- the alar plate component, as it extends further dorsally. ing the spinal cord, diencephalon and optic tract (data By this stage, more cells have migrated from the not shown). The structure of the Pax2 cDNA and its ventricular zone and the intermediate zone is now expression in the developing kidney is described in the present in both the basal and alar plates. A few clusters accompanying paper (Dressier et al. 1990), whereas this of silver grains are present in this zone immediately paper describes Pax2 expression in the developing radial to the position of transcripts in the ventricular nervous system. zone (Fig. 2D arrowheads). At day 8 p.c, Pax2 RNA could not be detected in any On day 11.5 of gestation, Pax2 transcripts in the ectodermal or mesodermal structures (data not shown). ventricular zone are no longer restricted to two com- Pax2 expression on day 9 of gestation is detected in partments on either side of the sulcus limitans but are both the optic and otic vesicles as will be described in expressed continuously along the entire dorsal two- detail in the following sections. The earliest detectable thirds of this layer (Fig. 2E,F). In the intermediate expression of Pax2 within the neural tube is during the zone, Pax2 is expressed in the progeny cells that early stages of neuronal differentiation on day 10 of expressed Pax2 on the previous day and is restricted to gestation. two regions extending radially on both sides of the sulcus limitans. In the basal plate, the signal is seen over Neural tube cells that have settled medial and dorsal to the nonex- Overall pattern pressing and earlier formed putative motor neuroblasts Beginning at day 10, Pax2 transcripts are expressed (Fig. 2F arrowheads). In the alar plate, transcripts are along the boundaries of two primary divisions in the present over the entire intermediate zone with the neural tube. The rostral limit of Pax2 expression was at highest density of silver grains along its most lateral the mesencephalon-rhombencephalon border, the isth- border. mus (Fig. 1A,B arrow) and expression extended On day 12 of gestation, the ventricular zone has through the rhombencephalon and spinal cord, on both nearly completely regressed in the basal plate and sides of the sulcus limitans (Fig. 1C,D). This pattern of become thinner in the alar plate (Fig. 2G). In what expression persists in these cells and their progeny from remains of the ventricular zone, Pax2 transcripts are days 10 to 18 and is described in detail in the transverse still expressed in the dorsal two-thirds; however, the Pax2 during neurogenesis 799 Fig.