Abstract
The mechanism controlling the development of dopaminergic (DA) and serotonergic (5HT) neurons in vertebrates is not well understood. Here we characterized a zebrafish mutant--too few (tof)--that develops hindbrain 5HT and noradrenergic neurons, but does not develop hypothalamic DA and 5HT neurons. tof encodes a forebrain-specific zinc finger transcription repressor that is homologous to the mammalian Fezl (forebrain embryonic zinc finger-like protein). Mosaic and co-staining analyses showed that fezl was not expressed in DA or 5HT neurons and instead controlled development of these neurons non-cell-autonomously. Both the eh1-related repressor motif and the second zinc finger domain were necessary for tof function. Our results indicate that tof/fezl is a key component in regulating the development of monoaminergic neurons in the vertebrate brain.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemical synthesis*
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Apoptosis / genetics
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Biogenic Monoamines / metabolism*
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Brain / cytology
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Brain / embryology*
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Brain / metabolism
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Brain Tissue Transplantation
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Carrier Proteins / genetics
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Carrier Proteins / isolation & purification*
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Cell Differentiation / genetics*
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Chromosome Mapping
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Dopamine / metabolism
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Embryo, Nonmammalian
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Female
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Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / genetics
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Male
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Neurons / cytology
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Neurons / metabolism*
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Peptaibols
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Peptides*
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Repressor Proteins / genetics
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Repressor Proteins / isolation & purification
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Serotonin / metabolism
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Signal Transduction / genetics
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Stem Cells / cytology
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Stem Cells / metabolism*
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Zebrafish
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Zebrafish Proteins*
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Zinc Fingers / genetics
Substances
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Anti-Bacterial Agents
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Biogenic Monoamines
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Carrier Proteins
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Peptaibols
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Peptides
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Repressor Proteins
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Zebrafish Proteins
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efrapeptin C
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fezf2 protein, zebrafish
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Serotonin
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Dopamine