Abstract
math5 is a murine orthologue of atonal, a bHLH proneural gene essential for the formation of photoreceptors and chordotonal organs in Drosophila. The expression of math5 coincides with the onset of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) differentiation. Targeted deletion of math5 blocks the initial differentiation of 80% of RGCs and results in an increase in differentiated amacrine cells. Furthermore, the absence of math5 abolishes the retinal expression of brn-3b and the formation of virtually all brn-3b-expressing RGCs. These results imply that math5 is a proneural gene essential for RGC differentiation and that math5 acts upstream to activate brn-3b-dependent differentiation processes in RGCs.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
-
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
-
Animals
-
Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
-
Cell Differentiation
-
Choline O-Acetyltransferase / analysis
-
DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
-
Drosophila / genetics
-
Drosophila Proteins
-
Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs
-
Isoenzymes / analysis
-
Membrane Proteins / analysis
-
Mice
-
Mice, Knockout
-
Nerve Tissue Proteins / deficiency
-
Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
-
Nerve Tissue Proteins / physiology*
-
Protein Kinase C / analysis
-
Protein Kinase C-alpha
-
Qa-SNARE Proteins
-
Retina / cytology
-
Retina / physiology*
-
Retinal Ganglion Cells / cytology*
-
Retinal Ganglion Cells / physiology
-
Transcription Factor Brn-3
-
Transcription Factor Brn-3B
-
Transcription Factors / deficiency
-
Transcription Factors / genetics
-
Transcription Factors / physiology*
Substances
-
Atoh1 protein, mouse
-
Atoh7 protein, mouse
-
Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
-
DNA-Binding Proteins
-
Drosophila Proteins
-
Isoenzymes
-
Membrane Proteins
-
Nerve Tissue Proteins
-
Qa-SNARE Proteins
-
Transcription Factor Brn-3
-
Transcription Factor Brn-3B
-
Transcription Factors
-
ato protein, Drosophila
-
Choline O-Acetyltransferase
-
Prkca protein, mouse
-
Protein Kinase C
-
Protein Kinase C-alpha