title: Isolation of a Pax-6 homolog from the ribbonworm Lineus sanguineus.
abstract: The Pax-6 genes of vertebrates and Drosophila encode transcription factors with highly conserved paired- and homeodomains. They are expressed in the nervous system and the developing eyes. Loss-of-function mutations in mammals and flies lead to a reduction or absence of the eyes. By ectopic expression of Pax-6 in Drosophila ectopic eyes can be induced, indicating a determinative role in eye morphogenesis. We have isolated a Pax-6 homolog of the ribbonworm Lineus sanguineus. This gene shares extensive sequence identity and several conserved splice sites with the mammalian and Drosophila genes. During head regeneration the L. sanguineus Pax-6 homolog is expressed in the central nervous system, in the cerebral organ, and in the eye region. These findings support the hypothesis that Pax-6 was present in primitive metazoa before the evolutionary separation of vertebrates and arthropods and suggest a fundamental role in eye and central nervous system development.
authors.affiliation: Biozentrum, Department of Cell Biology, University of Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Loosli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kmita-Cunisse
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Gehring
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics; D005123:Eye / Q000378:metabolism; D005136:Eye Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009420:Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012038:Regeneration; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014714:Vertebrates
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors