GATA-3 Is Involved in the Development of Serotonergic Neurons in the Caudal Raphe Nuclei
Open Access
- 15 June 1999
- journal article
- Published by Society for Neuroscience in Journal of Neuroscience
- Vol. 19 (12) , RC12
- https://doi.org/10.1523/jneurosci.19-12-j0002.1999
Abstract
The GATA-3 transcription factor shows a specific and restricted expression pattern in the developing and adult mouse brain. In the present study we investigated the role of GATA-3 in the caudal raphe system, which is known to operate as a modulator of motor activity. We demonstrate that virtually all neurons in the caudal raphe nuclei that express GATA-3 also produce serotonin. Absence of GATA-3, as analyzed in chimeric -/- mice, affects the cytoarchitecture of serotonergic neurons in the caudal raphe nuclei. As a result the chimeras show a serious defect in their locomotor performance on a rotating rod. In sum, we conclude that GATA-3 plays a major role in the development of the serotonergic neurons of the caudal raphe nuclei, and that it is crucial for their role in locomotion.Keywords
This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: