DRG11 immunohistochemical expression during embryonic development in the mouse

Abstract

DRG11 is a paired domain transcription factor that is necessary for the assembly of the nociceptive circuitry in the spinal cord dorsal horn. It is expressed in small dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and in their projection area in the spinal cord. Drg11 knockout mice exhibit structural and neurochemical defects both at the DRG and spinal superficial dorsal horn and present reduced nociceptive responses. In this study, a polyclonal antibody against DRG11 was generated and used for a detailed systematic spatiotemporal analysis of DRG11 expression during development. DRG11 is first detected at E10.5 in the spinal dorsal horn, DRG and trigeminal ganglion, where it persists until P14-21. At the cranial level, DRG11 expression is observed from E10.5 up to the same early post-natal ages in several cranial sensory ganglia and brain nuclei. These results suggest that DRG11 is required for the establishment of the first neuronal sensory relay along development. Developmental Dynamics 236:2653-2660, 2007.

Paired related homeobox protein‐like 1 (Prrxl1) controls its own expression by a transcriptional autorepression mechanism

“…In the DRG, the pan-sensory HD transcription factors Pou4f1 and Isl1 are both required for Prrxl1 expression [11]. On the other hand, in developing dorsal SC, Tlx1/ 3 and Lmx1b are extensively co-expressed with Prrxl1 [22,23]. Prrxl1 appears to depend more on Lmx1b than on Tlx1/3, as in Lmx1b null mice Prrxl1 expression was completely abolished [9], whereas in Tlx1/3 null mutant mice Prrxl1 expression was normally initiated but completely lost by E14.5 [19].…”

“…To date, Phox2b HD transcription factor, which is transiently coexpressed with Prrxl1 at early development (from E10.5 to 13.5) of facial-glossopharyngeal and vagal ganglia [6,23], is the only known direct regulator of Prrxl1 transcription. Both Prrxl1 and Phox2 bind to the minimal TATA box promoter region of Prrxl1, but have opposing transcriptional activities [24] and (Fig.…”

“…The DNA-protein complexes were recovered with 20 lL of equilibrated streptavidin-agarose resin (Sigma-Aldrich) after incubation for 2 h at room temperature with agitation and washed 5 times with DAPA buffer. The proteins bound to the DNA fragments were eluted in SDS-PAGE sample buffer and analysed by Western-blotting using rabbit polyclonal anti-Prrxl1 antibody [23].…”

“…Prrxl1 chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays were performed essentially as previously described [24], with the following modifications: (i) chromatin samples were extracted from about 16 dissected E14.5 mouse dorsal SC; (ii) antibody used was a home-made rabbit polyclonal anti-Prrxl1 antibody [23]; (iii) salt concentration of IP buffer was 500 mM; (iv) immunoprecipitates were washed with wash buffer II containing 500 mM NaCl. For quantitative PCR (qPCR), sets of primers were used for assessing ChIP enrichment and designed using primer3 software (http://biotools.umassmed.edu).…”

The homeoprotein Phox2b commands a somatic‐to‐visceral switch in cranial sensory pathways

“…In the PNS, Tlx3, Drg11, and Islet1 are expressed in all sensory ganglia, visceral and somatic (14,20,30, and this work). In the CNS, Tlx3, Drg11, and Lmx1b are expressed in the precursors of the nTS (9,20,22), spinal and principal trigeminal nuclei (11,20,31,32), spinal dorsal horn interneurons (20,23,33). The expression of these transcription factors is neither strictly specific for sensory neurons [e.g., Tlx3 is expressed in sympathetic ganglia (14) and Lmx1b in serotonergic neurons (34)] nor inclusive of all sensory neurons, but largely biased toward them.…”