FIG. 6.

Nkx2.2-Cre activity in the central nervous system. Analysis of tomato expression in the CNS of Nkx2.2^CreEGFP/+; R26R:Tomato embryos. (a) Transverse section through the thoracic region of an e14.5 embryo. The tomato reporter is expressed in the ventral spinal cord in the P3 progenitor domain adjacent to the floor plate and in the more lateral V3 interneuron domain. Tomato expression can also be detected adjacent to the esophagus in the left (L) and right (R) vagal nerves. Dapi (blue) labels cell nuclei. Magnification 5×; Scale bar = 500 μm. The rectangle represents the region shown at higher magnification in b-d. (b-d) The tomato reporter is co-expressed with Tuj1 in motor neuron axons extending from Nkx2.2-derived visceral motor neurons in the hindbrain. Magnification 20×; Scale bar = 100 μm. (e) Transverse section of an e14.5 thoracic spinal cord showing co-expression of Tomato and Sox9 (red) in the ventricular zone containing neural precursors. Tomato expressing cells are also present in the more lateral domain containing differentiated interneuron populations. Magnification 20×; Scale bar = 100 μm. (f) Whole mount of dissected e12.5 visceral tissue from a Nkx2.2^CreEGFP/+; R26R:Tomato embryo. Tomato is expressed in the dorsal (DP) and ventral (VP) and in a subset of axons extending into the stomach. (g) Section through the distal stomach of an e14.5 Nkx2.2^CreEGFP/+; R26R:Tomato embryo. Tomato+ axons extend into the Tuj1 expressing neurons innervating the stomach. Magnification 20×; Scale bar = 100 μm.