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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1992 Sep 1;89(17):8053–8057. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.17.8053

Expression pattern of a murine homeobox gene, Dbx, displays extreme spatial restriction in embryonic forebrain and spinal cord.

S Lu 1, L D Bogarad 1, M T Murtha 1, F H Ruddle 1
PMCID: PMC49854  PMID: 1355604

Abstract

Homeobox genes specify regional identity during development. A homeobox sequence that we have named Dbx was isolated from 13.5-day embryonic mouse telencephalon cDNA. The Dbx homeodomain shows highest sequence homology to Drosophila H2.0 and chicken CHox E. We report here the expression pattern of Dbx during mouse embryogenesis. In situ hybridization analyses indicate that Dbx is expressed exclusively within the embryonic central nervous system in a highly restricted manner. Dbx transcripts are detected within a region of the prospective cerebral cortex of the midgestation telencephalon. Dbx is also expressed in the diencephalon as well as in two thin continuous columns of neuroblasts within the hindbrain and spinal cord. This expression is limited to regions of active mitosis. Dbx may act to specify subsets of neuroblasts during the development of the central nervous system.

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Selected References

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