POU Domain Factor Brn-3b is Required for the Development of a Large Set of Retinal Ganglion Cells

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 93; no. 9; pp. 3920 - 3925
• Main Authors: Gan, Lin, Xiang, Mengqing, Zhou, Lijuan, Wagner, Daniel S., Klein, William H., Nathans, Jeremy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 30-04-1996; National Acad Sciences; National Academy of Sciences
• Subjects: Amacrine cells; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Brain - cytology; Brain - embryology; Cell Division; Cell nucleus; Cellular differentiation; Cellular immunity; Developmental biology; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Embryonic and Fetal Development; Exons; Ganglia; Genes; Genotype; Heterozygote; Homozygote; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Nerve Fibers - physiology; Nerve Fibers - ultrastructure; Neurons; Neurons - cytology; Neurons - physiology; Optic Nerve - cytology; Optic Nerve - embryology; Photoreceptors; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Proteins; Retina; Retina - cytology; Retina - embryology; Retinal Ganglion Cells - cytology; Retinal Ganglion Cells - physiology; Rodents; Stem Cells; Transcription Factor Brn-3; Transcription Factor Brn-3B; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.93.9.3920

The three members of the Brn-3 family of POU domain transcription factors are found in highly restricted sets of central nervous system neurons. Within the retina, these factors are present only within subsets of ganglion cells. We show here that in the developing mouse retina, Brn-3b protein is first observed in presumptive ganglion cell precursors as they begin to migrate from the zone of dividing neuroblasts to the future ganglion cell layer, and that targeted disruption of the Brn-3b gene leads in the homozygous state to a selective loss of 70% of retinal ganglion cells. In Brn-3b (-/-) mice other neurons within the retina and brain are minimally or not at all affected. These experiments indicate that Brn-3b plays an essential role in the development of specific ganglion cell types.