Identification of RALDH2 regulatory mechanisms during the spinal cord dorsal-ventral patterning.

Author(s)

Hozana Andrade Castillo

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB/SDI)
• Defense date: 2010-11-24

Examining board members

José Xavier Neto; Lucia Elvira Alvares; Anselmo Sigari Moriscot; Paulo Sérgio Lopes de Oliveira; Chao Yun Irene Yan

• Advisor: José Xavier Neto

Abstract

Retinoic acid (RA) signaling is crucial for correct embryonic development. Raldh2 is the major enzyme involved in retinoic acid synthesis during early development and its expression pattern is dynamic. Raldh2 expression patterns and its roles during development are well known, but little is known about its regulation. Bioinformatic analysis identified a conserved non-coding element (CNE) in the raldh2 gene conserved from amphibians to humans, called Raldh2. Using electroporation assays and transgenic mice analysis we showed that CNE Raldh2.2 is an enhancer that activates raldh2 in the dorsal spinal cord in tetrapods and that its activity pattern is the same in chicken and mice. Using deletions assays and site-directed mutagenesis, we identified four cis regulatory elements that activate this enhancer in the roof plate and dorsal interneurons of the spinal cord. This enhancer is activated by a redundant mechanism through three predicted Tcf-homeobox biding sites and it is repressed in ventral interneurons via two repressors sites, a Lim-homeodomain and a Tgif. In this thesis, using in situ hybridization, we described a new transient territory of raldh2 expression, the dorsal interneurons 1. These interneurons give rise to ascending circuits and intraspinal commissural interneurons, suggesting roles for retinoic acid signaling in the ontogeny of spinocerebellar and intraspinal proprioceptive circuits. (AU)