Figure 1.

Targeted inactivation of Pax6 in dorsal telencephalon. A, The scheme represents the targeted insertion of LoxP sites into the Pax6 gene (Ashery-Padan et al., 2000). The genomic locations of the used primers for genotyping are also shown. In the presence of Cre activity, a DNA fragment between the floxed sites of the Pax6 gene is excised, generating Pax6^del alleles. Bands with sizes of 300, 400, and 700 bp represent Pax6⁺, Pax6^fl, and Pax6^del alleles, respectively. B, The Emx1-Cre line deletion of the Pax6^fl/fl allele is proven by PCRs with combinations of primers as indicated in A and DNA samples isolated from E12.5 cortices of controls (Pax6^fl/fl or Pax6^+/+) or mutant (Pax6^fl/fl; Emx1^IRES-Cre) animals. Western blot (WB) analysis indicated severe diminishing of Pax6 protein level in the mutant cortex (lane 1) compared with controls (lanes 2, 3). C, The pictures illustrate a substantial reduction of the Pax6cKO cortex at postnatal stage P14.