title: Expression of pax-6 during urodele eye development and lens regeneration.
abstract: Regeneration of eye tissues, such as lens, seen in some urodeles involves dedifferentiation of the dorsal pigmented epithelium and subsequent differentiation to lens cells. Such spatial regulation implies possible action of genes known to be specific for particular cell lineages and/or axis. Hox genes have been the best examples of genes for such actions. We have, therefore, investigated the possibility that such genes are expressed during lens regeneration in the newt. The pax-6 gene (a gene that contains a homeobox and a paired box) has been implicated in the development of the eye and lens determination in various species ranging from Drosophila to human and, because of these properties, could be instrumental in the regeneration of the urodele eye tissues as well. We present data showing that pax-6 transcripts are present in the developing and the regenerating eye tissues. Furthermore, expression in eye tissues, such as in retina, declines when a urodele not capable of lens regeneration (axolotl) surpasses the embryonic stages. Such a decline is not seen in adult newts capable of lens regeneration. This might indicate a vital role of pax-6 in newt lens regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Dayton, OH 45469-2320, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Del Rio-Tsonis
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Washabaugh
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Tsonis
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000558:Ambystoma mexicanum / Q000254:growth & development*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology; D005123:Eye / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development; D005136:Eye Proteins; D015870:Gene Expression; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007814:Larva; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009673:Notophthalmus viridescens / Q000254:growth & development*; D009799:Ocular Physiological Phenomena; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D012038:Regeneration; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; C000605730:PAX6 protein, human; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors