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Fig. 5. Knockdown of Nkx6.1 has minor effects on neural plate patterning. Gene expression pattern in the neural plate of Nkx6.1MO injected X. laevis embryos. Top row shows uninjected control embryos, bottom row shows embryos injected with 37.5 ng Nkx6.1MO in one half of the embryos. The injected side is to the right. (A,B) N-tubulin expression pattern marking primary neurons is normal at stage 16. (C,D) Hb9-positive MNs form normally in Nkx6.1 knockdowns (stage 18). (E,F) Lhx3-positive cells are reduced in Nkx6.1MO injected embryos at stage 16 (black arrowhead). (G,H) Pax2-expressing interneurons are reduced at stage 15. Red brackets indicate medial and lateral Pax2-positive stripes in the spinal neural plate. Only one stripe is present on the injected side (H and insert). (I,J) At stage 18 the spinal Pax2+ interneurons form one stripe that is reduced in response to Nkx6.1 knockdown (J, red arrowhead). Interneuron progenitor markers such as Pax6 (K,L), Dbx1 (M,N), and Nkx2.2 (O,P) are not affected by Nkx6.1 knockdown. Nkx6.1 is not required for its own (Q,R) or for Nkx6.2 expression (S,T). |
