Specification of the central noradrenergic phenotype by the homeobox gene Phox2b

A Pattyn, C Goridis, JF Brunet - Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, 2000 - Elsevier
The closely related homeobox genes Phox2a and Phox2b are expressed in all central and
peripheral noradrenergic neurons. Our previous results have shown that Phox2a controls
the differentiation of the main noradrenergic center of the brain, the locus coeruleus, but
leaves unaffected the other noradrenergic centers. Here, we report that Phox2b has a wider
and overlapping role, in that it is required for the differentiation of all noradrenergic centers
in the brain, including the locus coeruleus. Together with the previously reported lack of …