The reeler gene encodes a protein with an EGF-like motif expressed by pioneer neurons

• Published in: Nature genetics Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 77 - 83
• Main Authors: Hirotsune, S, Takahara, T, Sasaki, N, Hirose, K, Yoshiki, A, Ohashi, T, Kusakabe, M, Murakami, Y, Muramatsu, M, Watanabe, S, Nakao, K, Katsuki, M, Hayashizaki, Y
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group 01-05-1995
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - metabolism; Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal - biosynthesis; Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal - genetics; Chromosome Mapping; Classical genetics, quantitative genetics, hybrids; Cloning, Molecular; Conserved Sequence; Crosses, Genetic; DNA, Complementary; Epidermal Growth Factor - genetics; Extracellular Matrix Proteins - biosynthesis; Extracellular Matrix Proteins - genetics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Deletion; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; In Situ Hybridization; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Neurologic Mutants - genetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Neurons - metabolism; Organ Specificity; Sequence Deletion; Serine Endopeptidases; Vertebrata; Nucleotide sequence; Rodentia; Homology; Gene expression; Neurological mutation; Cell motility; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Neuron; Complementary DNA; Gene; Mouse; Development; Transcription factor
• ISSN: 1061-4036; 1546-1718
• DOI: 10.1038/ng0595-77

We have identified a strong candidate cDNA for the mouse reeler gene. This 5 kb transcript encodes a 99.4 kD protein consisting of 881 amino acids and possessing two EGF-like motifs. We assayed two independent mutant alleles--'Jackson reeler', which has a deletion of the entire gene, and 'Orleans reeler' which exhibits a 220 bp deletion in the open reading frame, including the second EGF-like motif and resulting in a frame shift. In situ hybridization reveals that the transcript is detected exclusively in the pioneer neurons which guide neuronal cell migration along the radial array. Our findings offer an explanation for how the reeler mutant phenotype causes a disturbance of the complex architecture of the neuronal network.