title: Squid Pax-6 and eye development.
abstract: Pax-6 in vertebrates and its homolog eyeless in Drosophila are known to be essential for eye development. Here we investigate the role of Pax-6 in eye development in another major systematic group, molluscs. We demonstrate that alternatively spliced RNAs derived from a single Pax-6 gene in the squid (Loligo opalescens) are expressed in the embryonic eye, olfactory organ, brain, and arms. Despite significant sequence differences between squid Pax-6 and Drosophila eyeless in the region outside the paired- and homeodomains, squid Pax-6 is able to induce the formation of ectopic eyes in Drosophila. Our results support the idea that Pax-6 related genes are necessary for eye and olfactory system formation throughout the animal kingdom.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-2730, USA.
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Tomarev
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Callaerts
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kos
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zinovieva
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Halder
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gehring
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piatigorsky
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D049832:Decapodiformes / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D005123:Eye / Q000196:embryology*; D005136:Eye Proteins; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008974:Mollusca; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; 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