title: Survey of Hox-like genes in the teleost Morone saxatilis: implications for evolution of the Hox gene family.
abstract: We used a PCR-based method to survey a defined subset of Hox-like genes in the genome of Morone saxatilis (striped bass) to determine their relationship to similar Hox genes in other vertebrates, to estimate Hox cluster number, and to gain additional information about vertebrate Hox gene evolution. We identified eight distinct striped bass Hox-like genes representing Hox clusters A, B, and C. Comparison of Hox gene evolutionary trees from striped bass, zebrafish, and mouse provided evidence consistent with current views of early evolutionary divergence of genes from the Hox 3' and central classes. However, estimates of Hox gene divergence based on nucleotide substitution frequencies among four fish species and the mouse were contrary to established vertebrate phylogenies according to either traditional or molecular taxonomic analyses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27858.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pavell
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Stellwag
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001492:Bass / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers; D005801:Genes, Homeobox / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers