# Transcription factors governing the development of GHRH-neurons

> **NIH NIH R56** · STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO · 2020 · $558,250

## Abstract

Project Summary
The research goal of Lee lab is to decipher the gene regulatory network that directs the embryonic development
of various types of neurons in the mouse arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARC). Neurons in the ARC
centrally regulate various homeostatic processes critical for survival and reproduction. Despite extensive studies
on the physiological roles of ARC neurons, the gene regulatory programs for their development are poorly
understood. Lee lab has been pioneering this challenging area of studies by successfully combining mouse
genetics and genome-wide studies. In particular, Lee lab accomplished the first ChIP-Seq (for chromatin
immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing) and scRNA-Seq (for single cell RNA-Seq) analyses with
developing ARC. Interestingly, many ARC neurons share common developmental lineages. This is likely to be
critical to ensure the balanced production of different ARC neurons during embryogenesis, enabling a highly
coordinated regulation of various homeostatic processes in later postnatal life, such as integration of feeding,
reproduction, and growth. By performing scRNA-Seq with E15 ARC, when ARC neurons actively develop, Le
lab identified transcription factors that are highly likely to play critical roles in the development of ARC neurons.
These include the TFs Dlx1/2 and Prox1, which are hypothesized to play vital roles in establishing GHRH-
neuronal fate over other related ARC neuronal lineages. By testing this hypothesis using an ensemble of
biochemical and cellular methods, mouse genetics and genome-wide approaches, Lee lab wishes to advance
the understanding of how common progenitors are guided to take a specific linage over other related ARC
neuronal fates, resulting in the balanced development of various ARC neuronal types during embryogenesis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10201931
- **Project number:** 1R56NS118748-01
- **Recipient organization:** STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO
- **Principal Investigator:** JAE W LEE
- **Activity code:** R56 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $558,250
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-08-15 → 2021-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10201931

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10201931, Transcription factors governing the development of GHRH-neurons (1R56NS118748-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-30 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10201931. Licensed CC0.

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