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Abstract
Nkx homeobox transcription factors are expressed in diverse embryonic cells and presumably
control cell-type specification and morphogenetic events. Nkx2-9 is a novel family
member of NK2 genes which lacks the conserved TN-domain found in all hitherto known
murine Nkx2 genes. The prominent expression of Nkx2-9 in ventral brain and neural
tube structures defines a subset of neuronal cells along the entire neuraxis. During
embryonic development, Nkx2-9-expressing cells shift from the presumptive floor plate
into a more dorsolateral position of the neuroectoderm and later become limited to
the ventricular zone. Nkx2-9 expression overlaps with that of Nkx2-2 but is generally
broader. While initially Nkx2-9 is expressed in close proximity to sonic hedgehog,
its expression domain clearly segregates from sonic hedgehog at later developmental
stages. The dynamic expression pattern of Nkx2-9 in ventral domains of the CNS is
consistent with a possible role in the specification of a distinct subset of neurons.
Copyright 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.