An Evolutionarily Conserved Network Mediates Development of the zona limitans intrathalamica, a Sonic Hedgehog-Secreting Caudal Forebrain Signaling Center
1
Institut Curie, Université Paris Sud, INSERM U1021, CNRS UMR3347, Centre Universitaire, Bâtiment 110, F-91405 Orsay Cedex, France
2
Institute of Zoology, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstr. 30, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editors: Henk Roelink and Simon J. Conway
J. Dev. Biol. 2016, 4(4), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/jdb4040031
Received: 27 August 2016 / Revised: 29 September 2016 / Accepted: 13 October 2016 / Published: 20 October 2016
(This article belongs to the Collection Hedgehog Signaling in Embryogenesis)
Recent studies revealed new insights into the development of a unique caudal forebrain-signaling center: the zona limitans intrathalamica (zli). The zli is the last brain signaling center to form and the first forebrain compartment to be established. It is the only part of the dorsal neural tube expressing the morphogen Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) whose activity participates in the survival, growth and patterning of neuronal progenitor subpopulations within the thalamic complex. Here, we review the gene regulatory network of transcription factors and cis-regulatory elements that underlies formation of a shh-expressing delimitated domain in the anterior brain. We discuss evidence that this network predates the origin of chordates. We highlight the contribution of Shh, Wnt and Notch signaling to zli development and discuss implications for the fact that the morphogen Shh relies on primary cilia for signal transduction. The network that underlies zli development also contributes to thalamus induction, and to its patterning once the zli has been set up. We present an overview of the brain malformations possibly associated with developmental defects in this gene regulatory network (GRN).
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Keywords:
developmental biology; embryogenesis; neural; segregation; compartment; sonic hedgehog; forebrain; thalamus; holoprosencephaly; patterning
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MDPI and ACS Style
Sena, E.; Feistel, K.; Durand, B.C. An Evolutionarily Conserved Network Mediates Development of the zona limitans intrathalamica, a Sonic Hedgehog-Secreting Caudal Forebrain Signaling Center. J. Dev. Biol. 2016, 4, 31.
AMA Style
Sena E, Feistel K, Durand BC. An Evolutionarily Conserved Network Mediates Development of the zona limitans intrathalamica, a Sonic Hedgehog-Secreting Caudal Forebrain Signaling Center. Journal of Developmental Biology. 2016; 4(4):31.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSena, Elena; Feistel, Kerstin; Durand, Béatrice C. 2016. "An Evolutionarily Conserved Network Mediates Development of the zona limitans intrathalamica, a Sonic Hedgehog-Secreting Caudal Forebrain Signaling Center" J. Dev. Biol. 4, no. 4: 31.
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