Together at last: bHLH and LIM-HD regulators cooperate to specify motor neurons

Neuron. 2003 Jun 5;38(5):675-7. doi: 10.1016/s0896-6273(03)00329-5.

Abstract

bHLH and LIM-HD transcription factors were originally thought to act at different stages of neurogenesis: bHLHs as neuronal "inducers" and LIM-HDs as postmitotic subtype determinants. These distinctions are becoming blurred, and a current study by Lee and Pfaff in this issue of Neuron shows that interaction between these factors functions to synchronize neurogenesis with neuronal cell type specification.

Publication types

  • Comment
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Differentiation / genetics*
  • Cell Lineage / genetics*
  • Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs / genetics
  • Homeodomain Proteins / genetics*
  • Humans
  • LIM-Homeodomain Proteins
  • Motor Neurons / cytology
  • Motor Neurons / metabolism*
  • Spinal Cord / cytology
  • Spinal Cord / embryology*
  • Spinal Cord / metabolism
  • Stem Cells / cytology
  • Stem Cells / metabolism*
  • Transcription Factors / genetics*

Substances

  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • LHX1 protein, human
  • LIM-Homeodomain Proteins
  • Transcription Factors