High impact information on otx2

• Wnt8 is required for the initial subdivision of the neuroectoderm, including onset of posterior gbx1 expression and establishment of the posterior border of otx2 expression [1].
• A new interface between otx2 and epha4a suggests that the rostralization stops at the caudal part of rhombomere 1 [2].
• Using these two genes, as well as otx2 and meis3 as anterior and posterior markers, we show that Fgf and Wnt signals suppress expression of anterior genes, including cyp26 [3].
• The zbmp-2-expressing domain and the neuroectoderm, marked by otx-2 expression, were complementary, suggesting that BMP has a short-range effect in vivo [4].
• Moreover, mosaic experiments using a constitutively active form of a zebrafish BMP type I receptor (CA-BRIA) demonstrated that the cell-fate conversion, revealed by ectopic expression of gata-3 and repression of otx-2, occurred in a cell-autonomous manner, denying the involvement of the relay mechanism [4].

Biological context of otx2

• We propose that the changes in otx2 gene expression are manifest as an increase in the number of neuronal precursors in the cells olfactory epithelium of the odor-exposed fish [5].

Anatomical context of otx2

• Zebrafish early gastrula ectodermal explants are specified to express the neural markers opl (zic1) and otx2, and this expression is prevented by BMP4 [6].

Regulatory relationships of otx2

• Meanwhile, misexpression of otx2 suppressed the expression of gbx2 in the embryonic brain [7].

Other interactions of otx2

• By contrast, regional definition of the future MHB in the neuroectoderm by complementary expression of otx2 and gbx1, before the establishment of the complex regulatory cascade at the MHB, is normal in spg embryos [8].
• It effectively suppressed the anterior neural marker, otx2, but not the posterior marker, hoxb1b [9].
• This result is consistent with the observation that there is no gap between the expression domains of zbmp-2 and otx-2 [4].
• Expression analyses show that otx2 and mitfb are not expressed in the prospective RPE of chk, indicating that the retinal homeobox gene rx3 acts upstream of the molecular network controlling RPE specification [10].
• The system was tested with induced expression of Xactivin(beta)B and X(wnt), which both were shown to induce morphological abnormalities, as well as alterations in the expression patterns of goosecoid and otx2, respectively [11].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of otx2

• Strikingly, our analysis by in situ hybridization demonstrates that the transcription factor, otx2, is up regulated in the olfactory sensory epithelia in response to PEA [5].

References