Avian Ikaros gene is expressed early in embryogenesis.
Ikaros transcription factors dictate the key steps in lymphoid lineage determination. To reveal the evolutionary aspects of regulatory molecules involved in early lymphocyte development, we studied the cDNA of the avian Ikaros homolog. We demonstrate here that the Ikaros gene is highly conserved across avian and mammalian species. Importantly, the Ikaros mRNA is already expressed in early chicken embryos, from embryonic day 2 onwards, thus markedly before the traffic of the first precursor cells to the lymphoid primordia, thymus and the bursa of Fabricius. We suggest that the embryonic expression of the Ikaros transcripts represents an early onset of lymphoid differentiation.
Liippo
J
J
Turku Immunology Center and Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Turku, Finland. jussi.liippo@utu.fi
Lassila
O
O
D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001717:Birds / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics*; D002642:Chick Embryo; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D051740:Ikaros Transcription Factor; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000196:embryology; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013045:Species Specificity; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C497238:Zfpn1a1 protein, mouse; D051740:Ikaros Transcription Factor