Tbata, also known as SPATIAL, is a gene that plays crucial roles in multiple biological processes. It is expressed in thymic stromal cells, brain neurons, and testis germ cells. In thymic stromal cells, Tbata regulates thymic epithelial cell (TEC) proliferation and thymus size by interacting with the enzyme Uba3 and inhibiting the Nedd8 pathway [1]. In neurons, it is involved in neurite outgrowth and dendrite patterning, with its expression being increased by Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) and its localization to dendrites relying on the kinesin motor Kif17 [2].

In gene-related studies, thymi from aged Tbata-deficient mice are larger and contain more dividing TECs compared to wild-type littermate controls. Also, thymic reconstitution after bone marrow transplantation occurs more rapidly in Rag2(-/-)Tbata(-/-) mice than in Rag2(-/-)Tbata(+/+) littermate controls, suggesting its role in thymus function regulation via stromal cell proliferation [1]. In zebrafish, knockdown of Tbata orthologs shows its indispensability for enteric nervous system (ENS) development, and this was confirmed by CRISPR knockout, indicating its role in ENS-related processes [3].

In conclusion, Tbata is essential for thymus function through its regulation of stromal cell proliferation and also plays important roles in neuronal development and ENS development. The use of gene-knockout mouse models and zebrafish models has provided significant insights into Tbata's functions in these biological processes.

References:

1. Flomerfelt, Francis A, El Kassar, Nahed, Gurunathan, Chandra, Schwartz, Ronald H, Gress, Ronald E. 2010. Tbata modulates thymic stromal cell proliferation and thymus function. In The Journal of experimental medicine, 207, 2521-32. doi:10.1084/jem.20092759. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20937703/

2. Yammine, Miriam, Saade, Murielle, Chauvet, Sophie, Nguyen, Catherine. 2013. Spatial gene's (Tbata) implication in neurite outgrowth and dendrite patterning in hippocampal neurons. In Molecular and cellular neurosciences, 59, 1-9. doi:10.1016/j.mcn.2013.12.007. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24361585/

3. Gui, Hongsheng, Schriemer, Duco, Cheng, William W, Garcia-Barceló, Maria-Mercè, Hofstra, Robert M W. 2017. Whole exome sequencing coupled with unbiased functional analysis reveals new Hirschsprung disease genes. In Genome biology, 18, 48. doi:10.1186/s13059-017-1174-6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28274275/