Eyes absent: a gene family found in several metazoan phyla.
Genes related to the Drosophila eyes absent gene were identified in vertebrates (mouse and human), mollusks (squid), and nematodes (C. elegans). Proteins encoded by these genes consist of conserved C-terminal and variable N-terminal domains. In the conserved 271-amino acid C-terminal region, Drosophila and vertebrate proteins are 65-67% identical. A vertebrate homolog of eyes absent, designated Eya2, was mapped to Chromosome (Chr) 2 in the mouse and to Chr 20q13.1 in human. Eya2 shows a dynamic pattern of expression during development. In the mouse, expression of Eya2 was first detected in 8.5-day embryos in the region of head ectoderm fated to become the forebrain. At later stages of development, Eya2 is expressed in the olfactory placode and in a variety of neural crest derivatives. In the eye, expression of Eya2 was first detected after formation of the lens vesicle. At day 17.5, the highest level of Eya2 mRNA was observed in primary lens fibers. Low levels of Eya2 expression was detected in retina, sclera, and cornea. By postnatal day 10, Eya2 was expressed in secondary lens fibers, cornea, and retina. Although Eya2 is expressed relatively late in eye development, it belongs to the growing list of factors that may be essential for eye development across metazoan phyla. Like members of the Pax-6 gene family, eyes absent gene family members were probably first involved in functions not related to vision, with recruitment for visual system formation and function occurring later.
Duncan
M K
MK
National Eye Institute, Laboratory of Molecular and Developmental Biology, Building 6, Room 203, 6 Center Drive, MSC 2730, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
Kos
L
L
Jenkins
N A
NA
Gilbert
D J
DJ
Copeland
N G
NG
Tomarev
S I
SI
D000367:Age Factors; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002890:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 20; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D049832:Decapodiformes / Q000235:genetics; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000502:physiology; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D005123:Eye / Q000473:pathology; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006257:Head / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000235:genetics*
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; C092694:eya protein, Drosophila; C106938:EYA2 protein, human; C501159:Eya2 protein, mouse; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases