Prox1 expression patterns in the developing and adult murine brain

Abstract

Prox1, a homeobox gene related to the Drosophila gene prospero, is necessary for retina, lens, liver, pancreas, and lymphatics development. However, not much is yet known about Prox1 expression during central nervous system development. Here we provide a detailed analysis of Prox1 mRNA and protein expression during prenatal and postnatal murine brain development. Prenatally, Prox1 is expressed in the subventricular zone or in early differentiating regions of the brain. At these stages, Prox1 mRNA, but not Prox1 protein, was also detected in several regions of the prethalamus and hypothalamus. At an early postnatal stage, Prox1 expression is mainly detected in several nuclei of the thalamus, the cerebellum, and the hippocampus. In adulthood, Prox1 expression remains only in the hippocampus and cerebellum. These complex patterns of expression suggest that Prox1 activity is differentially required during brain development and adulthood. Developmental Dynamics 236:518 -524, 2007.

Prospero-related homeobox 1 gene (Prox1) is regulated by canonical Wnt signaling and has a stage-specific role in adult hippocampal neurogenesis

“…S2). This is in contrast to earlier stages of neural development during which Prox1 is also expressed in the SVZ (16). Reflecting the mRNA expression pattern, we found Prox1 protein expression to be restricted to the DG in the adult brain ( Fig.…”

“…To identify potential targets of Wnt signaling within the hippocampal niche, we focused on genes expressed in the adult DG. Prox1 is a prospero-related homeodomain transcription factor, which is highly expressed in DG granule cells (10,15,16). Prox1 has previously been shown to be important for lens development, lymphangiogenesis, differentiation of certain spinal cord interneurons, and, very recently, in hippocampal granule cell genesis (17)(18)(19)(20).…”

Subdivisions of the adult zebrafish pallium based on molecular marker analysis

“…During mouse development, Prox1 expression is found in the amygdala, dentate gyrus and in the neocortex 57 . At adult stages, however, strong Prox1 expression is restricted to the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and is commonly used as a specific marker for granule cells of the hippocampus 57– 59 . In the adult zebrafish, Prox1 positive cells are exclusively present in the caudal part of Dld.…”

GAD isoforms exhibit distinct spatiotemporal expression patterns in the developing mouse lens: Correlation with Dlx2 and Dlx5

“…Prox1 is a vertebrate homeobox gene related to the Drosophila prospero (Oliver et al, 1993;Tomarev et al, 1998), which shares domains of expression with GADs in the forebrain of mid-gestation mouse embryos (Katarova et al, 2000;Lavado and Oliver, 2007). c-Maf is a basic domain/leucine zipper domain protein, member of the Maf family of transcription factors, which play a major role in ocular development (Reza et al, 2002;Reza and Yasuda, 2004).…”

“…c-Maf is a basic domain/leucine zipper domain protein, member of the Maf family of transcription factors, which play a major role in ocular development (Reza et al, 2002;Reza and Yasuda, 2004). The absence of either c-Maf or Prox1 results in a strikingly similar phenotype: disrupted lens elongation and synthesis of crystallins due to failure to withdraw from the cell cycle at the initial stages of fiber cell differentiation (Kawauchi et al, 1999;Kim et al, 1999;Wigle et al, 1999;Ring et al, 2000;Lavado and Oliver, 2007). It is not known at present whether Prox1 and/or c-Maf directly regulate GAD genes in the lens.…”