Role of xARX2 in Xenopus brain development.

Vertebrate brain development is a multi-step process involving a tight regulation of gene expression. Homeobox genes of the paired-like family have been shown to play prominent roles in directing forebrain regionalization and patterning. The aristaless-related homeobox gene ( Arx) has been shown to regulate proliferation in the mouse forebrain and mutations in human ARX lead to a spectrum of cognitive disorders. To identify the role that Arx plays during amphibian development we characterized the spatial and temporal expression of a Xenopus Arx homolog, xArx2. xArx2 is present as a maternal transcript and its initial expression detectable by whole-mount in situ hybridization occurs briefly during late blastula in the dorsal region of the embryo. xArx2 is detected throughout nearulation in the anterior neural plate and is found within the presumptive forebrain territory and in the somites during tailbud stages. Early tadpoles show expression of xArx2 within the floor plate of the anterior spinal cord, in the ventral and lateral telencephalon, and in the lateral diencephalon. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)Dept. of Biological Sciences. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2004 .W65. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 43-01, page: 0162. Adviser: Michael J. Crawford. Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2004