Identification of SoxC-regulated genes during neurogenesis in the developing spinal cord [mouse]

The HMG-domain containing SoxC transcription factors Sox4 and Sox11 are expressed in the vertebrate central nervous system in neuronal precursors and neuroblasts. They are required during early stages of neurogenesis. Here we perform micorarray analysis to identify genes that are downstream of these SoxC proteins during spinal cord neurogenesis in mouse. The identified genes represent potential direct target genes of Sox4 and Sox11. Total RNA was prepared from brain of wildtype and Sox4/Sox11-double deficient mouse embryos at day 14.5 of embryogenesis and used to compare overall gene expression patterns between the two genotypes using Affymetrix microarrays.