Abstract
The thalamic complex is an essential part of the brain that requires a combination of specialized activities to attain its final complexity. In the following review we will describe the induction process of the mid-diencephalic organizer (MDO) where three different signaling pathways merge: Wnt, Shh, and Fgf. Here, we dissect the function of each signaling pathway in the thalamus in chronological order of their appearance. First we describe the Wnt mediated induction of the MDO and compartition of the caudal forebrain, then the Shh mediated determination of proneural gene expression before discussing recent progress in characterizing Fgf function during thalamus development. Then, we focus on transcription factors, which are regulated by these pathways and which play a pivotal role in neurogenesis in the thalamus. The three signaling pathways act together in a strictly regulated chronology to orchestrate the development of the entire thalamus.
Highlights
In sixteenth century France, people liked listening to the fairy tale of the “Trois frères et le petite maison.” In this story, in order to maintain and add to the splendor of their father’s small house, three brothers had to compete for its inheritance by showing their skills as a barber, a blacksmith, and a swordsman
First we describe the Wnt mediated induction of the mid-diencephalic organizer (MDO) and compartition of the caudal forebrain, the Shh mediated determination of proneural gene expression before discussing recent progress in characterizing Fgf function during thalamus development
We focus on transcription factors, which are regulated by these pathways and which play a pivotal role in neurogenesis in the thalamus
Summary
In sixteenth century France, people liked listening to the fairy tale of the “Trois frères et le petite maison.” In this story, in order to maintain and add to the splendor of their father’s small house, three brothers had to compete for its inheritance by showing their skills as a barber, a blacksmith, and a swordsman. In sixteenth century France, people liked listening to the fairy tale of the “Trois frères et le petite maison.” In this story, in order to maintain and add to the splendor of their father’s small house, three brothers had to compete for its inheritance by showing their skills as a barber, a blacksmith, and a swordsman. The thalamic complex in vertebrates is subdivided by a compartment boundary separating the prethalamus anteriorly from the thalamus posteriorly (Figures 1A–C). Cells within an organizer generally do not intermingle with those of adjacent regions Such cell lineage restriction helps to stabilize the size and position of the organizer and ensures the production of a stable morphogen gradient from its source, which is imposed by the morphological characteristic of the ZLI. In the following review we will describe the induction process of the MDO where three different signaling pathways merge: Wnt, Shh and Fgf (Scholpp and Lumsden, 2010) and we will dissect the function of each signaling pathway in the thalamus www.frontiersin.org
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