Identification and characterization of a novel transcript down-regulated in Dlx1/Dlx2 and up-regulated in Pax6 mutant telencephalon

By using a custom-made array containing cDNAs preferentially expressed in the mouse embryonic telencephalon (Porteus et ail. [1992] Brain Res Mol Brain Res 12:7-22; and Alessandro Bulfone, unpublished data), we studied the gene expression profile of the Dlx1/Dix2(-/-) subpallium and Pax6(-/-) pallium. We identified a transcript corresponding to Unigene Cluster Mm.94021 and rat Evf-1, which is down-regulated in the Dlx1/Dix2(-/-) subpallium and up-regulated in the Pax6(-/-) pallium. Here, we report the expression pattern of this transcript, designated mouse Evf1 (mEvf1), in the prenatal forebrain of wild-type, Dlx1/Dix2(-/-) and Ill mice using RNA in situ hybridization and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. In the wild-type forebrain mEvf1 expression is restricted to the ventral thalamus, hypothalamus, and subpallial telencephalon (caudal, lateral, and medial ganglionic eminences and septal primordia), whereas it is down-regulated in the Dlx1/Dix2(-/-) subpallium (mainly in caudal, lateral, and medial ganglionic eminences), and up-regulated in the Pax6(-/-) lateral and ventral pallium at embryonic day 12.5 and in the dorsal, lateral, and ventral pallium at embryonic day 14.5. (C) 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.