High impact information on foxd3

• We demonstrate that decrement of the function of foxd3 and/or sox10, two genes important for the development and specification of neural crest, resulted in a reduction and/or loss of GnRH cells of the midbrain, as well as a reduction in the number of terminal nerve GnRH cells [1].
• We show that msx1 expression is able to induce all other early neural crest markers tested (snail, slug, foxd3) at the time of neural crest specification [2].
• We show that sym1 mutants have normal numbers of premigratory neural crest cells, but these cells express reduced levels of snai1b and sox10, implicating foxd3 as an essential regulator of these transcription factors in the premigratory neural crest [3].
• Knocking down foxd3 with morpholino oligonucleotide (MO) resulted in a dramatic down-regulation of myf5 in somites and adaxial cells but not in the presomitic mesoderm [4].
• On the other hand, myod expression remained unchanged in foxd3 morphants [4].

Biological context of foxd3

• TUNEL analysis revealed aberrant apoptosis localized to the hindbrain neural crest at the 15-somite stage, indicating a critical role for foxd3 in the survival of a subpopulation of neural crest cells [3].
• Injection of PAC clones containing the foxd3 gene into mos(m188) embryos restored foxd3 expression in NC progenitors and suppressed the mos(m188) phenotype [5].
• We employed genetic linkage analysis and physical mapping to place the mos(m188) mutation on zebrafish chromosome 6 in the vicinity of the foxd3 gene [5].

Anatomical context of foxd3

• Neural crest induction and specification are not hindered in mob(m610) mutant embryos, as revealed by normal expression of early neural crest specific genes such as snail2, foxd3 and sox10 [6].
• The mother superior mutation ablates foxd3 activity in neural crest progenitor cells and depletes neural crest derivatives in zebrafish [5].
• Double labelling with a neuronal marker shows that fkd6-expressing cells are not differentiated neurones and generally lie peripheral to neurones in ganglia [7].

Associations of foxd3 with chemical compounds

• A role for foxd3 and sox10 in the differentiation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) cells in the zebrafish Danio rerio [1].

Other interactions of foxd3

• The loss of derivatives is preceded by a reduction in NC-expressed transcription factors, snail1b, sox9b, sox10, and a specific loss of foxd3 expression in NC progenitor cells [5].

References