# Transcriptional Control of Region-Specific Astrocyte Functions in Spinal Cord Circuits

> **NIH NIH F31** · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2021 · $46,036

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Astrocytes are essential for the generation, maintenance, and function of neuronal circuits in the central
nervous system (CNS). Recent studies from our laboratory revealed that astrocytes exhibit extensive
molecular and functional diversity across several regions of the CNS. To understand how this functional
diversity is encoded, we identified several transcription factors (TFs) that exhibit region-specific expression.
Despite these findings, how TFs contribute to astrocyte physiology and circuit function remain largely
undefined. Among the TFs exhibiting region-specific expression, we found that the homeobox TF Nkx6.1 is
expressed exclusively in ventral astrocytes of the mature spinal cord. Temporal-conditional deletion of Nkx6.1
from mature astrocytes (Nkx6.1-cKO) resulted in a lower morphological complexity of astrocytes in the ventral
spinal cord suggesting that it regulates key properties of these astrocyte populations. Additionally, motor
neurons from Nkx6.1-cKO spinal cords demonstrate reduced expression of choline acetyltransferase
accompanied by reduced number of VGlut1 synapses. Finally, ChIP-seq analysis shows that Nkx6.1 binds,
and possibly regualtes the expression of genes involved in cell morphology, neuron-astrocyte communication,
and synaptic maintenance. Together, these results suggest that Nkx6.1 maintains mature astrocyte functions
that are essential for the maintenance of synaptic circuits in the spinal cord. Thus, the focus of our proposal is:
1) to determine how Nkx6.1 maintains morphology and physiology of ventral spinal cord astrocytes; 2) to
delineate how Nkx6.1-dependent astrocyte functions contribute to the activity of spinal cord motor neurons and
motor behaviors, and 3) to define the unique transcriptional mechanism controlled by Nkx6.1 in ventral spinal
cord astrocytes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10314322
- **Project number:** 1F31NS124310-01
- **Recipient organization:** BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Navish Alejandro Bosquez Huerta
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $46,036
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-07-30 → 2025-07-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10314322

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10314322, Transcriptional Control of Region-Specific Astrocyte Functions in Spinal Cord Circuits (1F31NS124310-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-12 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10314322. Licensed CC0.

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