Zic1 levels regulate mossy fiber neuron position and axon laterality choice in the ventral brain stem.

摘要: Pontine gray neurons of the brain stem are a major source mossy fiber (MF) afferents to granule cells cerebellum. Achieving this connectivity involves an early regionalization pontine neuron cell bodies within brainstem nuclei, as well establishing proper ratio crossed versus uncrossed MF projections contralateral ipsilateral cerebellar territories. Here, we report expression transcription factor Zic1 in newly postmitotic and present functional experiments embryonic postnatal mice that implicate levels key determinant body position pons axon laterality. Reducing embryonically via utero electroporation short hairpin RNA interference (shRNAi) vectors shifted distribution from caudolateral rostromedial territories; by contrast, increasing resulted reciprocal shift, with electroporated redistributing caudolaterally. Associated latter was change laterality, greater proportion marked now targeting instead neurons, therefore, play important role development pontocerebellar circuitry.