AUTHOR=Goes Carolina Purcell , Botezelli Vitória Samartin , De La Cruz Shirley Mirna , Cruz Mário Costa , Azambuja Ana Paula , Simoes-Costa Marcos , Yan Chao Yun Irene 

TITLE=ASCL1 promotes Scrt2 expression in the neural tube

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2024.1324584

DOI=10.3389/fcell.2024.1324584

ISSN=2296-634X

ABSTRACT=<p>ASCL1 is a transcription factor that directs neural progenitors towards lineage differentiation. Although many of the molecular mechanisms underlying its action have been described, several of its targets remain unidentified. We identified in the chick genome a putative enhancer (cE1) upstream of the transcription factor <italic>Scratch2</italic> (<italic>Scrt2</italic>) locus with a predicted heterodimerization motif for ASCL1 and POU3F2. In this study, we investigated the role of ASCL1 and this enhancer in regulating the expression of the <italic>Scrt2</italic> in the embryonic spinal cord. We confirmed that cE1 region interacted with the <italic>Scrt2</italic> promoter. cE1 was sufficient to mediate ASCL1-driven expression in the neural tube through the heterodimerization sites. Moreover, <italic>Scrt2</italic> expression was inhibited when we removed cE1 from the genome. These findings strongly indicate that ASCL1 regulates <italic>Scrt2</italic> transcription in the neural tube through cE1.</p>