CDX4 and retinoic acid interact to position the hindbrain-spinal cord transition
Abstract
The sub-division of the posterior-most territory of the neural plate results in the formation of two distinct neural structures, the hindbrain and the spinal cord. Although many of the molecular signals regulating the development of these individual structures have been elucidated, the mechanisms involved in delineating the boundary between the hindbrain and spinal cord remain elusive. Two molecules, retinoic acid (RA) and the Cdx4 transcription factor have been previously implicated as important regulators of hindbrain and spinal cord development, respectively. Here, we provide evidence that suggests multiple regulatory interactions occur between RA signaling and the Cdx4 transcription factor to establish the anterior-posterior (AP) position of the transition between the hindbrain and spinal cord. Using chemical inhibitors to alter RA concentrations and morpholinos to knock-down Cdx4 function in zebrafish, we show that Cdx4 acts to prevent RA degradation in the presumptive spinal cord domain by suppressing expression of the RA degradation enzyme, Cyp26a1. In the hindbrain, RA signaling modulates its own concentration by activating the expression of cyp26a1 and inhibiting the expansion of cdx4. Therefore, interactions between C...Continue Reading
References
A conserved retinoic acid response element required for early expression of the homeobox gene Hoxb-1
Cdx-Hox code controls competence for responding to Fgfs and retinoic acid in zebrafish neural tissue
Citations
Related Concepts
Related Feeds
Aphasia
Aphasia affects the ability to process language, including formulation and comprehension of language and speech, as well as the ability to read or write. Here is the latest research on aphasia.