| Summary: | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Development of the enteric nervous system (ENS) requires interactions between migrating neural crest cells and the nascent gastrointestinal tract that are dependent upon genes expressed by both cell compartments. <it>Hlx</it>, a homeobox transcription factor gene that is expressed in mouse intestinal and hepatic mesenchyme, is required for normal embryonic growth of intestine and liver, and the <it>Hlx</it><sup>-/- </sup>genotype is embryonic lethal. We hypothesized that <it>Hlx </it>is required for ENS development.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Enteric neurons were identified in <it>Hlx</it><sup>+/+ </sup>and <it>Hlx</it><sup>-/- </sup>mouse embryos by immunostaining of embryo sections for the neural markers PGP9.5 and Phox2b, or by staining for β-galactosidase in whole-mount embryos containing the dopamine β-hydroxylase-n<it>LacZ </it>transgene. In <it>Hlx</it><sup>+/+ </sup>embryos, neural crest cells/enteric neurons have moved from the stomach into the intestine by E10.5. By contrast, neural crest cells/enteric neurons remain largely restricted to the lateral stomach mesenchyme of <it>Hlx</it><sup>-/- </sup>embryos, with only a few scattered neural crest cells/enteric neurons in the intestine between E10.5–16.5.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The Hlx homeobox transcription factor is required for early aspects of ENS development.</p>
|
|---|
