Abstract
The proprioceptive system provides continuous positional information on the limbs and body to the thalamus, cortex, pontine nucleus, and cerebellum. We showed previously that the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor Math1 is essential for the development of certain components of the proprioceptive pathway, including inner-ear hair cells, cerebellar granule neurons, and the pontine nuclei. Here, we demonstrate that Math1 null embryos lack the D1 interneurons and that these interneurons give rise to a subset of proprioceptor interneurons and the spinocerebellar and cuneocerebellar tracts. We also identify three downstream genes of Math1 (Lh2A, Lh2B, and Barhl1) and establish that Math1 governs the development of multiple components of the proprioceptive pathway.
Publication types
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Apoptosis
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Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
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Body Patterning
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Brain / embryology*
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Brain / physiology
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Cerebellum / embryology
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Cerebellum / physiology
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Embryonic and Fetal Development
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Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
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Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs
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Heterozygote
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Homeodomain Proteins / genetics
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Interneurons / physiology*
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LIM-Homeodomain Proteins
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Mice
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Mice, Knockout
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Mice, Transgenic
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Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
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Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism
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Proprioception / genetics
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Proprioception / physiology*
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Repressor Proteins
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Skin / innervation
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Spinal Cord / embryology*
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Spinal Cord / physiology
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Transcription Factors / deficiency
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Transcription Factors / genetics
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Transcription Factors / metabolism*
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beta-Galactosidase / genetics
Substances
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Atoh1 protein, mouse
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Barhl1 protein, mouse
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Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
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Homeodomain Proteins
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LHX9 protein, human
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LIM-Homeodomain Proteins
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Lhx1 protein, mouse
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Lhx9 protein, mouse
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Nerve Tissue Proteins
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Repressor Proteins
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Transcription Factors
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beta-Galactosidase