Loss of Nkx2.1 homeobox gene function results in a ventral to dorsal molecular respecification within the basal telencephalon: evidence for a transformation of the pallidum into the striatum

1999/08/01 by Lori Sussel, Óscar Marín, Shioko Kimura +1 · 4 citations
Neuroscience · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms #Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation #Zebrafish Biomedical Research Applications

paper · doi:10.1242/dev.126.15.3359

openalex publication_date 1999/08/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

The telencephalon is organized into distinct longitudinal domains: the cerebral cortex and the basal ganglia. The basal ganglia primarily consists of a dorsal region (striatum) and a ventral region (pallidum). Within the telencephalon, the anlage of the pallidum expresses the Nkx2.1 homeobox gene. A mouse deficient in Nkx2.1 function does not form pallidal structures, lacks basal forebrain TrkA-positive neurons (probable cholinergic neurons) and has reduced numbers of cortical cells expressing GABA, DLX2 and calbindin that migrate from the pallidum through the striatum and into the cortex. We present evidence that these phenotypes result from a ventral-to-dorsal transformation of the pallidal primordium into a striatal-like anlage.

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