Spatial distribution of the full-length members of the Grg family during embryonic neurogenesis reveals a “Grg-mediated repression map” in the mouse telencephalon

The full-length members of the Groucho/Transducin-like Enhancer of split gene family, namely Grg1-4, encode nuclear corepressors that act either directly, via interaction with transcription factors, or indirectly by modifying histone acetylation or chromatin structure. In this work we describe a detailed expression analysis of Grg1-4 family members during embryonic neurogenesis in the developing murine telencephalon. Grg1-4 presented a unique, complex yet overlapping expression pattern; Grg1 and Grg3 were mainly detected in the proliferative zones of the telencephalon, Grg2 mainly in the subpallium and finally, Grg4 mainly in the subpallial post mitotic neurons. In addition, comparative analysis of the expression of Grg1-4 revealed that, at these stages, distinct telencephalic progenitor domains or structures are characterized by the presence of different combinations of Grg repressors, thus forming a “Grg-mediated repression map”.