Journal
NEURON
Volume 57, Issue 2, Pages 217-231Publisher
CELL PRESS
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2007.11.033
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- NINDS NIH HHS [R01 NS033245-08, R01 NS033245] Funding Source: Medline
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The fidelity with which spinal motor neurons innervate their limb target muscles helps to coordinate motor behavior, but the mechanisms that determine precise patterns of nerve-muscle connectivity remain obscure. We show that Nkx6 proteins, a set of Hox-regulated homeodomain transcription factors, are expressed by motor pools soon after motor neurons leave the cell cycle, before the formation of muscle nerve side branches in the limb. Using mouse genetics, we show that the status of Nkx6.1 expression in certain motor neuron pools regulates muscle nerve formation, and the pattern of innervation of individual muscles. Our findings provide genetic evidence that neurons within. motor pools possess an early transcriptional identity that controls target muscle specificity.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available