Mab21, the mouse homolog of a C-elegans cell-fate specification gene, participates in cerebellar, midbrain and eye development

A multitude of regulatory genes are involved in phylogenetically conserved developmental cascades required for the patterning, cell-type specification , and differentiation of specific central nervous system (CNS) structures. Here, we describe the distribution of a mouse transcript encoding a homolog of the C. elegans mab-21 gene. In the nematode tail, mab-21 is required fo r the short-range patterning and cell-fate determination events mediated by egl-5 and mab-18, two homeobox genes homologous to Abd-B and Pax6, respect ively. In mouse midgestation embryogenesis, Mab21 is expressed at its highe st levels in the rhombencephalon, cerebellum, midbrain, and prospective neu ral retina. Our data and the genetic interactions previously documented in the nematode suggest that Mab21 may represent a novel, important regulator of mammalian cerebellum and eye development. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science irel and Ltd. All rights reserved.