Timing the Generation of Distinct Retinal Cells by Homeobox Proteins
Author Information
Author(s): Sarah Decembrini, Massimiliano Andreazzoli, Robert Vignali, Giuseppina Barsacchi, Federico Cremisi
Primary Institution: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
Hypothesis
The sequential activation of retinal homeobox genes depends on a cellular clock that establishes the cell birth dates of distinct retinal cell types.
Conclusion
The study provides evidence that a cellular clock, influenced by cell cycle progression, regulates the timing of retinal cell differentiation.
Supporting Evidence
- The three Xenopus homeobox genes Xotx5b, Xvsx1, and Xotx2 are initially transcribed but not translated in early retinal progenitors.
- The translation of these genes is linked to cell cycle progression and is sequentially activated in photoreceptors and bipolar cells.
- Blocking cell cycle progression impairs differentiation of photoreceptors and bipolar cells, but this can be rescued by specific coding sequences.
Takeaway
This study shows that the timing of when retinal cells are made is controlled by a kind of clock that depends on how cells divide.
Methodology
The study used in situ expression analysis and in vivo lipofection to investigate the translation of homeobox genes in embryonic retinal cells.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.000043
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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