the molecular mechanism of dorso-ventral patterning in late stages of development

我们分析了转录因子Zic1/Zic4的分子功能，Zic1/Zic4表达于背体，调控躯干的背-腹模式。我们使用Da突变体进行转录组分析，发现Zic1/Zic4在某些体中特异性表达缺失，并鉴定了Zic1/Zic4的几个下游基因。我们发现Notch信号的调节分子lunatic fringe是Zic1/Zic4的下游靶点之一，表明Zic1/Zic4通过调节Notch信号的活性来影响背干形态。为了了解Zic1/Zic4的保守功能和表达，我们生成并分析了几个小鼠系。

We analyzed the molecular function of transcription factors Zic1/Zic4, which express in dorsal somites and regulate dorso-ventral patterning of body trunk. We performed transcriptome analyses using Da mutants, which lost the expression of Zic1/Zic4 specifically in somites and identified several downstream genes of Zic1/Zic4. We found that the modulator of Notch signaling, lunatic fringe, is one of the downstream target of Zic1/Zic4, suggesting that Zic1/Zic4 contribute the dorsal trunk morphology by reguating the activity of Notch signaling. We generated and analyzed several mouse lines to understand the conserved function and expression of Zic1/Zic4.