The brain is derived from a series
of about 16 segemental units. The 11 brain stem
units are called rhombomeres. Mapping the boundaries
of rhombomeres gives us an entirely new way to
view the organization of the brain stem.
Professor George Paxinos (UNSW), Professor Luis
Puelles (Murcia, Spain) and Professor Charles
Watson (WABRI, Curtin) have begun by transferring
data derived from avian experiments to the mouse
brain stem and will next begin experimental tests
of their presumptive maps. To do this the postnatal
expression of key hox genes which specify the
rhombomeres will be mapped. Access to a transgenic
mouse strain expressing a LacZ conjugate of the
zinc finger hox gene Krox 20 has been accessed.
Krox 20 is expressed in rhombomeres 3 and 5. There
is a collaboration with two other European groups
who have mice which express hox genes related
to rhombomere 2 (hox a2) and rhombomere 4 (hox
b1).
Contact Details of Program Leader
Name: Prof Charles Watson
Institution WABRI - Curtin University
Ph: +61 8 9266 7466
Fax: +61 8 9266 2608
Email:
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