WEGNER , Michael

The mechanism that causes neural stem cells in the central nervous system to switch from neurogenesis to gliogenesis is poorly understood. Here we analyzed spinal cord development of mice in which the transcription factor Sox9 was specifically ablated from neural stem cells by the CRE/loxP recombination system. These mice exhibit defects in the...

Sex determination in mammals directs an initially bipotential gonad to differentiate into either a testis or an ovary. This decision is triggered by the expression of the sex-determining gene Sry, which leads to the activation of male-specific genes including the HMG-box containing gene Sox9. From transgenic studies in mice it is clear that...

Congenital abnormalities of the kidney and the urinary tract (CAKUT) belong to the most common birth defectsin human, but the molecular basis for the majority of CAKUT patients remains unknown. Here we show thatthe transcription factor SOX11 is a crucial regulator of kidney development. SOX11 is expressed in bothmesenchymal and epithelial...