Cholesterol and Brain Development
Now, scientists of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch in Germany have been able to show that a gene defect in one of the receptors for cholesterol, the receptor megalin, is responsible for severe damages of the forebrain and holopresencephaly in mice. Megalin is primarily produced by the embryonic tissue which later develops into the central nervous system. These results achieved by Robert Spoelgen, Dr. Annette Hammes, and Uwe Anzenberger of the research group of Professor Thomas Willnow have now been published online by the journal Development; http://dev.biologists.org/cgi/content/full/132/2/405; (January 2005, Vol. 132, Issue 2, pp. 405-414).*
*LRP2/megalin is required for patterning of the ventral telencephalon
Robert Spoelgen*, Annette Hammes*, Uwe Anzenberger*, Dietmar Zechner, Olav M. Andersen, Boris Jerchow and Thomas E. Willnow
Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, 13092, Germany
*Authors contributed equally
Author for correspondence (e-mail: willnow@mdc-berlin.de)
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