Source: http://dev.biologists.org/content/146/4/dev172510
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 22:46:17+00:00

Document:
Specification of neurons in the spinal cord relies on extrinsic and intrinsic signals, which in turn are interpreted by expression of transcription factors. V2 interneurons develop from the ventral aspects of the spinal cord. We report here a novel neuronal V2 subtype, named V2s, in zebrafish embryos. Formation of these neurons depends on the transcription factors sox1a and sox1b. They develop from common gata2a- and gata3-dependent precursors co-expressing markers of V2b and V2s interneurons. Chemical blockage of Notch signalling causes a decrease in V2s and an increase in V2b cells. Our results are consistent with the existence of at least two types of precursor arranged in a hierarchical manner in the V2 domain. V2s neurons grow long ipsilateral descending axonal projections with a short branch at the ventral midline. They acquire a glycinergic neurotransmitter type during the second day of development. Unilateral ablation of V2s interneurons causes a delay in touch-provoked escape behaviour, suggesting that V2s interneurons are involved in fast motor responses.
Conceptualization: V. Gerber, L.Y., S.R., U.S.; Methodology: V. Gerber, L.Y., M.T., V. Gourain, R.P., J.S., R.M.; Software: V. Gourain, R.P., J.S., R.M.; Validation: V. Gerber, L.Y., V.R., M.R.; Formal analysis: V. Gourain, R.P., J.S., R.M., M.R.; Investigation: V. Gerber, L.Y., M.T., V.R., V. Gourain, M.F.; Resources: V.R., R.P., S.R., U.S.; Data curation: V. Gourain, R.P., J.S., R.M.; Writing - original draft: L.Y., S.R., U.S.; Writing - review & editing: V. Gerber, L.Y., V.R., S.R., U.S.; Visualization: V. Gerber, L.Y., V.R.; Supervision: S.R., U.S.; Project administration: S.R., U.S.; Funding acquisition: U.S.
U.S. acknowledges support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (GRK2039), EUIPZF-Health, NeuroXsys, and the Interreg NSB-Upper Rhine and Helmholtz Association. V.R. is supported by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale ATIP-AVENIR programme, as well as by a Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer grant (PREAC2016.LCC).
Whole-genome sequencing data of the sox1a:eGFP line have been deposited in NCBI's Sequence Read Archive (SRA) under accession number SRR8237123.

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