BMP ligands act redundantly to pattern the dorsal telencephalic midline

Jean M. Hébert, Monica Hayhurst, Melissa E. Marks, Holger Kulessa, Brigid L.M. Hogan, Susan K. McConnell

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

46 Scopus citations

Abstract

The embryonic telencephalon is patterned into several areas that give rise to functionally distinct structures in the adult forebrain. Previous studies have shown that BMP4 and BMP2 can induce features characteristic of the telencephalic midline in cultured explants, suggesting that the normal role of BMP4 in the forebrain is to pattern the medial lateral axis of the telencephalon by promoting midline cell fates. To test this hypothesis directly in vivo, the Bmp4 gene was efficiently disrupted in the telencephalon using a CRE/loxP approach. Analysis of Bmp4-deficient telencephalons fails to reveal a defect in patterning, cell proliferation, differentiation, or apoptosis. The absence of a phenotype in the Bmp4-deficient telencephalon along with recent genetic studies establishing a role for a BMP4 receptor, BMPRIA, in telencephalic midline development, demonstrate that loss of Bmp4 function in the telencephalon can be compensated for by at least one other Bmp gene, the identity of which has not yet been determined.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)214-219
Number of pages6
JournalGenesis (United States)
Volume35
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1 2003

Keywords

  • BMP signaling
  • Cre/loxP
  • Forebrain
  • Foxg1-Cre
  • Neurogenesis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Genetics
  • Endocrinology
  • Cell Biology

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