Transcriptional profiling of embryos lacking Flvcr1

Flvcr1 is a heme transporter involved in multiple processes. Here we invetigated the role of this transporter in brain development in mice. Deletion of Flvcr1 in nerual progenitors leads to metabolic collapse of neural progenitors and cortical disruption. Using transcriptional profiling, we show that brains of these embryos expressed reduced levels of electron transport chain components and increased levels of heme metabolic genes. These results implicate Flvcr1 in brain development through control of the metabolic state in neural progenitors. We inactivated Flvcr1 in neural progenitors using Nestin-Cre and isolated brains from 3 control and 3 mutant embryos at E14.5.