Distinct activities of tfap2a and tfap2b in the specification of GABaergic interneurons in the developing cerebellum

Abstract

GABAergic inhibitory neurons in the cerebellum are subdivided into Purkinje cells and distinct subtypes of interneurons from the same pool of progenitors, but the determinants of this diversification process are not well defined. To explore the transcriptional regulation of the development of cerebellar inhibitory neurons, we examined the role of Tfap2A and Tfap2B in the specification of GABAergic neuronal subtypes in mice. We show that Tfap2A and Tfap2B are expressed in inhibitory precursors during embryonic development and that their expression persists into adulthood. The onset of their expression follows Ptf1a and Olig2, key determinants of GABAergic neuronal fate in the cerebellum; and, their expression precedes Pax2, an interneuron-specific factor. Tfap2A is expressed by all GABAergic neurons, whereas Tfap2B is selectively expressed by interneurons. Genetic manipulation via in utero electroporation (IUE) reveals that Tfap2B is necessary for interneuron specification and is capable of suppressing the generation of excitatory cells. Tfap2A, but not Tfap2B, is capable of inducing the generation of interneurons when misexpressed in the ventricular neuroepithelium. Together, our results demonstrate that the differential expression of Tfap2A and Tfap2B defines subtypes of GABAergic neurons and plays specific, but complementary roles in the specification of interneurons in the developing cerebellum.