The Brn-3 family of POU-domain factors: primary structure, binding specificity, and expression in subsets of retinal ganglion cells and somatosensory neurons

Abstract

We thank Dr. Clark Riley, Ms. Carol Davenport, and Ms. Jani ne Ptak for synthetic oligonucleotides; Dr. Keith Fry for the gift of mAb ABS; Ms. Cathy Blizzard for cat eyes; Dr. Mark Molliver for donating fixed monkey eyes; Drs. Masafumi Tanaka and Wi nshi p Herr for Oct.1 cDNA; Mr. Hao Zhou for the GST-Ott-1 POU domain protein; Dr. Y.-W. Peng for rabbit retinas and Dr. Hua-Shun Li for chicken retinas; Dr. Elio Ravi ol a for advice on histologic techniques; and Drs. Robert Rodieck, Jen-Chi h Hsieh, and King-wai Yau for hel pful comments on the manuscript.

NT-3 regulates expression of Brn3a but not Brn3b in developing mouse trigeminal sensory neurons

“…Since the Brn3 family are the most closely related factors to unc86, they may be the mammalian homologues of this gene and therefore may play a role in the determination of neuronal phenotype. This hypothesis is supported by the observation that, with the exception of a small amount of Brn3a mRNA expression in cells of the neuro-endocrine and immune systems, the expression of Brn3 factors is exclusively restricted to the w x embryonic and adult nervous system 17,32,36,44,45 . Cotransfection of Brn3 expression cDNAs and promotorrreporter cDNA constructs into cell lines has identified a number of neuron specific genes that are potential targets for Brn3a and Brn3b transactivation or repression ( )w x 4,17,22,27-29 .…”

Barhl1 is required for maintenance of a large population of neurons in the zonal layer of the superior colliculus

“…Given the significant neuronal loss in the zonal layer of Barhl1 Ϫ/Ϫ superior colliculi, we examined whether it could, in turn, cause a secondary loss of ganglion cells. Ganglion cells in the retina were visualized by immunostaining with an antibody against Brn3a, a POU domain transcription factor expressed in differentiated ganglion cells (Xiang et al, 1995). At P6 and in the adult, the number of Brn3a-immunoreactive ganglion cells did not change in the mutant retina compared with the control (Fig.…”

Regulation of Hsp27 expression and cell survival by the POU transcription factor Brn3a

“…Investigation of the DNA sequences of the mouse and human Hsp27 promoters revealed an A-T-rich sequence TTGCCATTAATAG, which corresponded to a consensus Brn3a binding site 9,10 and consisting of a core ATTAAT element intersecting two half oestrogen response elements (EREs) at À87 to À91 and À71 to À73. We subcloned the Hsp27 promoter region 11 into the pGL2-luciferase reporter plasmid and co-transfected this into ND7 cells along with plasmids expressing full-length Brn3a(l), which contains the N-terminal transactivation and POU DNA binding domains, Brn3a(s) that lacks the N-terminal transactivation domain and the Brn3a POU domain in isolation.…”