BackgroundMitral and tufted cells are the projection neurons in the olfactory bulb, conveying odour information to various regions of the olfactory cortex. In spite of their functional importance, there are few molecular and genetic tools that can be used for selective labelling or manipulation of mitral and tufted cells. Tbx21 was first identified as a T-box family transcription factor regulating the differentiation and function of T lymphocytes. In the brain, Tbx21 is specifically expressed in mitral and tufted cells of the olfactory bulb.
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