Loss of / Locus Alters Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling and Meckel's Cartilage Morphology.

The genes encode transcription factors that establish a proximal-distal polarity within neural crest cells to bestow a regional identity during craniofacial development. The expression regions of paralogs are overlapping yet distinct within the zebrafish pharyngeal arches and may also be involved in progressive morphologic changes and organization of chondrocytes of the face. However, how each paralog of , , and affects craniofacial development is still largely unknown.

Increased Sociability in Mice Lacking Intergenic Enhancers.

The homeodomain transcription factors play important roles in the differentiation and migration of GABAergic interneuron precursors. The mouse and human genomes each have six genes organized into three convergently transcribed bigene clusters (, , and ) with -regulatory elements (CREs) located in the intergenic region of each cluster. Amongst these, the I56i and I12b enhancers from the and locus, respectively, are active in the developing forebrain.

Novel cross-regulation interactions between dlx genes in larval zebrafish.

The homeodomain-containing transcription factors dlx1a, dlx2a, dlx5a and dlx6a are expressed in the zebrafish brain in overlapping patterns and are important in vertebrate development. Previous work in mice have suggested the overlapping expression pattern is in part due to cross-regulatory interactions among the aforementioned dlx genes. However, the extent of these interactions and whether they are conserved among vertebrates remains to be determined.

Lineage tracing of dlx1a/2a and dlx5a/6a expressing cells in the developing zebrafish brain.

Lineage tracing of specific populations of progenitor cells provides crucial information about developmental programs. Four members of the Dlx homeobox gene family, Dlx1,2, 5 and 6, are involved in the specification of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons in the vertebrate forebrain. Orthologous genes in mammals and teleost show similarities in expression patterns and transcriptional regulation mechanisms.