title: The master control gene for morphogenesis and evolution of the eye.
abstract: The human Aniridia, the murine Small eye, and the eyeless mutations of Drosophila affect homologous (Pax-6) genes that contain both a paired- and a homeobox. By ectopic expression of these genes, functional eyes can be induced on the legs, wings, and antennae of the fly, indicating that eyeless (Pax-6) is the master control gene for eye morphogenesis. The finding of Pax-6 from flatworms to humans suggests that eyeless is a universal master control gene and that the various types of eyes in the various animal phyla may have evolved from a single prototype.
authors.affiliation: Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Gehring
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D005123:Eye / Q000254:growth & development*; D005136:Eye Proteins; D005796:Genes; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D017344:Genes, Insect; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D012097:Repressor Proteins
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; C000605730:PAX6 protein, human; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; C000605732:Pax6 protein, mouse; D012097:Repressor Proteins