title: A highly conserved lens transcriptional control element from the Pax-6 gene.
abstract: We have identified a short segment of the mouse Pax-6 gene 5' flanking region that is necessary and sufficient for reporter construct expression in components of the eye derived from non-neural ectoderm. This transcriptional control element has a highly conserved nucleotide sequence over 341 bp and is located approximately 3.5 kb upstream of the start-point for transcription from the most proximal promoter (PO) of the Pax-6 gene. The level of identity between the human and mouse Pax-6 genes in this region is 93%. When combined either with its natural promoter or a heterologous minimal promoter, this element directs reporter construct expression to a region of surface ectoderm overlying the optic cup beginning at E8.5-9.0 (12-14 somites). Subsequently, expression is restricted to the lens (primarily the lens epithelium) and the corneal epithelium. This element will provide an important tool in future transgenic analyses of lens formation and will allow identification of transcription factors with a central function in lens development.
authors.affiliation: Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine, Developmental Genetics Program, Cell Biology and Pathology Departments, New York University Medical Center, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Altmann
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hemmati-Brivanlou
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D005136:Eye Proteins; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
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