Spatiotemporal patterns of gene expression during fetal monkey brain development

Brain Res Dev Brain Res. 2003 Dec 19;146(1-2):99-106. doi: 10.1016/j.devbrainres.2003.10.001.

Abstract

Human DNA microarrays are used to study the spatiotemporal patterns of gene expression during the course of fetal monkey brain development. The 444 most dynamically expressed genes in four major brain areas are reported at five different fetal ages. The spatiotemporal profiles of gene expression show both regional specificity as well as waves of gene expression across the developing brain. These patterns of expression are used to identify statistically significant clusters of co-regulated genes. This study demonstrates for the first time in the primate the relevance, timing, and spatial locations of expression for many developmental genes identified in other animals and provides clues to the functions of many unknowns. Two different microarray platforms are used to provide high-throughput cross validation of the most important gene expression changes. These results may lead to new understanding of brain development and new strategies for treating and repairing disorders of brain function.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain / anatomy & histology
  • Brain / embryology*
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Embryo, Mammalian
  • Embryonic and Fetal Development*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Profiling / methods
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental*
  • Genes, Homeobox
  • Male
  • Multigene Family
  • Pregnancy
  • RNA, Messenger / biosynthesis
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger