| First Author | Asprer JS | Year | 2011 |
| Journal | Development | Volume | 138 |
| Issue | 13 | Pages | 2823-32 |
| PubMed ID | 21652654 | Mgi Jnum | J:173570 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5014462 | Doi | 10.1242/dev.061879 |
| Citation | Asprer JS, et al. (2011) LMO4 functions as a co-activator of neurogenin 2 in the developing cortex. Development 138(13):2823-32 |
| abstractText | The proneural protein neurogenin 2 (NGN2) is a key transcription factor in regulating both neurogenesis and neuronal radial migration in the embryonic cerebral cortex. However, the co-factors that support the action of NGN2 in the cortex remain unclear. Here, we show that the LIM-only protein LMO4 functions as a novel co-factor of NGN2 in the developing cortex. LMO4 and its binding partner nuclear LIM interactor (NLI/LDB1/CLIM2) interact with NGN2 simultaneously, forming a multi-protein transcription complex. This complex is recruited to the E-box containing enhancers of NGN2-target genes, which regulate various aspects of cortical development, and activates NGN2-mediated transcription. Correspondingly, analysis of Lmo4-null embryos shows that the loss of LMO4 leads to impairments of neuronal differentiation in the cortex. In addition, expression of LMO4 facilitates NGN2-mediated radial migration of cortical neurons in the embryonic cortex. Our results indicate that LMO4 promotes the acquisition of cortical neuronal identities by forming a complex with NGN2 and subsequently activating NGN2-dependent gene expression. |
