Chick pallium RNA sequencing, studies on Pax6 function in chicken neurogenesis

The neocortex is a distinctive feature of mammalian brains, and its evolutionary origin is still under debate. The tangential expansion and six-layered laminar structure of the mammalian neocortex have been attributed to the increased proliferative/neurogenic potential of radial glia and innovation of novel cell populations including Cajal-Retzius cells. These developmental programs are deeply regulated by a transcription factor Pax6 during neocortical development. However, whether or how these Pax6-dependent regulations vary between mammals and other species is unknown. The aim of this project is to examine Pax6-dependent neurogenic programs in non-mammalian amniotes and compare to that of mammals. In order to identify the Pax6 function in forebrain development of non-mammals, we transfected Pax6 expressing vector into developing chick pallium and extracted total RNA for RNA-sequencing analysis. There were significant changes in the expression of a number of genes compared to control samples, and these data imply deeply conserved neurogenic programs between mammalian and non-mammalian brain development.