The roles of the LIM homeobox gene Lhx2 in early eye development and retinal histogenesis

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Title The roles of the LIM homeobox gene Lhx2 in early eye development and retinal histogenesis
Publication Type dissertation
School or College School of Medicine
Department Neurobiology & Anatomy
Author Yun, Sanghee
Date 2010-05-14
Description The eye originates from the prosencephalon, a region of the brain. Eye development studies may assist research in the central nervous system (CNS), since several CNS tissues (brain, spinal cord and eye etc.) exhibit similar gene expression profiles. In particular, homeobox genes have been shown to be crucial for patterning, specification and differentiation at tissue and cellular levels. Therefore, studying the function of single homeobox genes may be important for answering fundamental questions of developmental biology. In Chapter 1,1 review general eye structures and functions, and outline some genetic mutations causing anophthalmia (absence of eye) and microphthalmia (small eye). I focus on two developmental processes, patterning of optic vesicle and retinal histogenesis for this study. Moreover, molecular mechanisms are explored including the functions of homeobox genes involved in these two processes. Finally, the known functions of Lhx2 are introduced, which is crucial for eye development in several animal model systems. In Chapter 2,1 describe genetic inactivation experiments of Lhx2 and show that it plays important roles in optic vesicle patterning. Here, I tried to determine how Lhx2 inactivation causes anophthalmia and analyzed the expression patterns of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors crucial for optic vesicle patterning. I discovered that Lhx2 is required for optic vesicle patterning in both cell-autonomous and non-cell autonomous manners and surface ectoderm specification in a non-cell autonomous manner. In Chapter 3,1 describe experiments designed to test the function of Lhx2 in retinal progenitor cells by mating floxed Lhx2 mice with retinal specific ere line or inducible ere line. I discovered that Lhx2 is crucial for the maintenance of uncommitted progenitor cells, which have the potential to generate all cell types, by preventing cell cycle exit and differentiation. These studies also suggest that Lhx2 limits the acquisition of the biased progenitor state that has the capacity to generate only specific cell fates. In Chapter 4,1 summarize the diverse functions of Lhx2 during optic vesicle patterning and retinal histogenesis, and propose future studies that may help to elucidate molecular mechanisms mediated by Lhx2.
Type Text
Publisher University of Utah
Subject Eye; Homeobox Genes; Mice
Subject MESH Eye; Genes, Homeobox; Growth and Development; Mice
Dissertation Institution University of Utah
Dissertation Name PhD
Language eng
Relation is Version of Digital reproduction of "The Roles of the LIM Homeobox Gene Lhx2 in Early Eye Development and Retinal Histogenesis." Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library. Print version of "The Roles of the LIM Homeobox Gene Lhx2 in Early Eye Development and Retinal Histogenesis.: available at J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collection. QH9.7 2009.Y86.
Rights Management © Sanghee Yun
Format application/pdf
Format Medium application/pdf
Format Extent 3,881,974 bytes
Source Original: University of Utah Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library
Conversion Specifications Original scanned on Fujitsi fi-5220G as 400 dpi to pdf using ABBYY FineReader 10
ARK ark:/87278/s6668tnx
Setname ir_etd
ID 192153
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6668tnx
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