1: J Neurochem. 2005 Sep;94(6):1739-45. Epub 2005 Jul 18. 

Runx1 expression defines a subpopulation of displaced amacrine cells in the
developing mouse retina.

Stewart L, Potok MA, Camper SA, Stifani S.

Center for Neuronal Survival, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, Quebec,
Canada.

AML1/Runx1 (Runx1) is a mammalian transcription factor that plays critical roles
in regulating the differentiation of a number of different cell types. In the
present study, we have utilized mice expressing beta-galactosidase (beta-gal)
under the control of the Runx1 promoter to characterize the spatiotemporal
expression pattern of Runx1 during retinogenesis. Expression of beta-gal was
first detected at embryonic day 13.5 in post-mitotic cells located in the inner
retina and overlapped with expression of the early amacrine and ganglion cell
marker protein Islet1. During subsequent developmental stages, the number of
beta-gal-positive cells increased in a central-to-peripheral gradient until late
embryogenesis but then decreased in the early post-natal retina.
beta-gal-positive cells were located primarily in the ganglion cell layer by
late embryonic/early post-natal stages and were identified as a subpopulation of
displaced amacrine cells by the continued expression of Islet1, as well as Pax6,
and the coexpression of the amacrine cell subtype-specific markers choline
acetyltransferase, calretinin and the 65-kDa isoform of glutamic acid
decarboxylase. These findings identify Runx1 as a novel marker for a restricted
amacrine cell subtype and suggest a role for this gene in regulating the
post-mitotic development of these cells.

PMID: 16026391 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


---------------------------------------------------------------