Bcl11a (Ctip1) controls migration of cortical projection neurons through regulation of Sema3c

ABSTRACT: During neocortical development, neurons undergo polarization, oriented migration, and layer type-specific differentiation. The transcriptional programs underlying these processes are not completely understood. Here we show that the transcription factor Bcl11a regulates polarity and migration of upper layer neurons. Bcl11a-deficient late-born neurons fail to correctly switch from multipolar to bipolar morphology resulting in impaired radial migration. We show that the expression of Sema3c is increased in migrating Bcl11a-deficient neurons and that Bcl11a is a direct negative regulator of Sema3c transcription. In vivo gain-of-function and rescue experiments demonstrate that Sema3c is a major downstream effector of Bcl11a required for the cell polarity switch and for the migration of upper layer neurons. Our data uncover a novel Bcl11a/Sema3c-dependent regulatory pathway used by migrating cortical neurons. Neocortex tissue from three control (Bcl11a+/+) and three Bcl11a mutants (Bcl11aΔflox/Δflox) embryos was collected at E14.5. Total RNA was isolated from each sample separately using the RNeasy kit (Qiagen). The isolated ENA was inspected for integrity and purity using an Agilent Bioanalyzer and a NanoDrop spectrophotometer, respectively. Microarray analyses were performed using 200 ng total RNA as starting material and 5.5 µg ssDNA per hybridization in a GeneChip Fluidics Station 450 (Affymetrix). The total RNAs were amplified and labeled following the Whole Transcript (WT) Sense Target Labeling Assay (Affymetrix). Labeled ssDNA was hybridized to Mouse Gene 1.0 ST Affymetrix GeneChip arrays (Affymetrix). The chips were scanned with a GeneChip Scanner 3000 (Affymetrix) and subsequent images analyzed using Affymetrix Expression Console Software (Affymetrix). A transcriptome analysis was performed using BRB-ArrayTools developed by Dr. Richard Simon and BRB-ArrayTools Development Team (http://linus.nci.nih.gov/BRB-ArrayTools.html).

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

SUBMITTER: Karlheinz Holzmann 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-52827 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress