Work

All in the family: proneural bHLH genes and neuronal diversity

Year: 2018

Type: review

Abstract: ABSTRACT Proneural basic Helix-Loop-Helix (bHLH) proteins are required for neuronal determination and the differentiation of most neural precursor cells. These transcription factors are expressed in vastly divergent organisms, ranging from sponges to primates. Here, we review proneural bHLH gene evolution and function in the Drosophila and vertebrate nervous systems, arguing that the Drosophila gene atonal provides a useful platform for understanding proneural gene structure and regulation. We also discuss how functional equivalency experiments using distinct proneural genes can reveal how proneural gene duplication and divergence are interwoven with neuronal complexity.

Source: Development

DOI: 10.1242/dev.159426

Authors: Nicholas E. Baker, Nadean L. Brown

Institutions: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, University of California, Davis

Language: English

Topic: Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institute for Health and Care Research, National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute, National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Awards: Investigation of Mammalian Retinal Neuron Development, Cell-Cell Interactions in Developing Retina