Figure 8.

Zic2 mutant mice show lower number of eGFP thalamic prethalamic boundary (TpTB) IN in the vLGN. A, B, Coronal sections from E14.5 [Zic2^+/+;Tg(Zic2^eGFP)] and [Zic2^kd/kd;Tg(Zic2^eGFP)] embryos through the medial diencephalon. Dashed lines delineate the MS from the third ventricle to the vLGN. White arrowheads highlight the reduction in the number of cells in the MS and vLGN of Zic2 mutant mice. Red arrowheads point to cells mislocated in the prethalamus of Zic2 mutant embryos. C, D, Close-up of the ventricular region of E14.5 [Zic2^+/+;Tg(Zic2^eGFP)] and [Zic2^kd/kd;Tg(Zic2^eGFP)] embryos. Red arrowheads point to an area containing accumulation of cells in the ventricular wall of a Zic2 mutant embryo. E, F, Coronal sections from E14.5 control and Zic2 mutant embryos from mothers injected with BrdU at E12.5. A reduction in the number of BrdU-positive cells is observed in the vLGN area, but not in the ventricular areas of Zic2 mutant mice (arrowheads). White lines divide medial and lateral thalamic areas. G, H, Caspase3-positive cells (arrows) in coronal sections from E14.5 [Zic2^+/+;Tg(Zic2^eGFP)] and [Zic2^kd/kd;Tg(Zic2^eGFP)] embryos. I, Graphs representing the quantification of FI from BrdU-positive cells in the MS close to the ventricular zone (medial area) or close to the vLGN (lateral area) in Zic2 mutant and control embryos. J, Graph representing the number of Caspase3-positive cells in Zic2 mutant and control embryos at E14.5. Th, Thalamus; pTh, prethalamus; TCA, thalamocortical axons.