The role of Sp8 in olfactory system development

描述（由申请人提供）：最近发现的转录因子Sp 8是肢体发育和神经管闭合所必需的。在胚胎发育过程中，它也在端脑内侧的不同部位表达。我们相信，这个基因可能是重要的定义发展嗅球，以及嗅上皮。这些区域代表了已知的少数几个成人神经发生的例子。我的项目将通过使用条件突变（floxed）Sp 8等位基因来研究Sp 8在端脑中的作用。这将使我能够重组出Sp 8编码序列，从而在发育的特定时间和特定区域内使Sp 8表达失活。使用Foxg 1-cre等位基因驱动端脑cre表达，我将调查是否Sp 8所需的嗅球形成，以及一代的嗅上皮。我还将使用Foxg 1-tTA等位基因作为四环素诱导系统的一个组成部分，在端脑内启动cre表达。通过这项技术，我可以控制Sp 8失活的时间。这将使我们能够调查以后的作用Sp 8在胚胎发育过程中，以及可能的成人需求Sp 8在一代嗅球中间神经元。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A recently discovered transcription factor, Sp8, is required for limb development and neural tube closure. It is also expressed in specific domains of the medial telencephalon at various points during embryonic development. We believe that this gene could be important in defining the developing olfactory bulbs, as well as the olfactory epithelium. These regions represent some of the few known instances of adult neurogenesis. My project will investigate the role of Sp8 in the telencephalon by using conditional mutant (floxed) Sp8 alleles. These will allow me to recombine out the Sp8 coding sequence, thereby inactivating Sp8 expression, within specific areas at specific times in development. Using a Foxg1-cre allele to drive telencephalic cre expression, I will investigate whether Sp8 is required for olfactory bulb formation, as well as generation of the olfactory epithelium. I will also use a Foxg1-tTA allele as a component of a tetracycline-inducible system to turn on cre expression within the telencephalon. With this technique, I can control the time at which Sp8 is inactivated. This will allow us to investigate later roles of Sp8 during embryonic development, as well as the possible adult requirement for Sp8 in generation of olfactory bulb interneurons.