Role of Gata3 in the development and maintenance of serotonergic identity

OLSZEVICKI, S; DE FINO, FERNANDA TERESA; BRUM, L ; LANUZA, G

Chascomús

Taller; IV Taller de Biología Celular y del Desarrollo; 2018

Taller de Biología Celular y del Desarrollo

The serotonergic system, located in the Raphe?s nuclei, controls different aspects of behavior and physiological processes. During embryonic development, serotonergic neurons are produced from progenitors in the most ventral domain of hindbrain, which also generate visceral motoneurons. Gene=c studies have iden=fied that the transcrip=on factors Pet1, Lmx1b and Gata3 are important for the proper assignment of serotonergic iden=ty. By performing gene=c tracings in young and adult mice in combina=on with expression analysis we found that Gata2 and Gata3 expression is retained in mature serotonergic neurons. To assess the role of Gata3 in postnatal Raphe neurons, we generated inducible Gata3 condi=onal knockouts and found reduced expression of Pet1, Tph2 and Sert in the dorsal raphe nucleus. Moreover, we found a decrease in serotonin synthesis, which is accompanied with a loss of habitua=on in open-field tests, sugges=ng an anxiety-like phenotype. On the other hand, the dele=on of Gata3 during advanced embryonic neuron matura=on did not show altered expression of Pet1, Sert and other genes related to serotonergic func=on. These results indicate that Gata transcrip=on factors not only are important for serotonergic neurons specifica=on but are also involved in maintaining serotonergic iden=ty throughout life