title: Characterization and expression analysis of an ancestor-type Pax gene in the hydrozoan jellyfish Podocoryne carnea.
abstract: We characterized a Pax gene from the hydrozoan Podocoryne carnea. It is most similar to cnidarian Pax-B genes and encodes a paired domain, a homeodomain and an octapeptide. Expression analysis demonstrates the presence of Pax-B transcripts in eggs, the ectoderm of the planula larva and in a few scattered cells in the apical polyp ectoderm. In developing and mature medusae, Pax-B is localized in particular endodermal cells, oriented toward the outside. Pax-B is not expressed in muscle cells. However, if isolated striated muscle tissue is activated for transdifferentiation, the gene is expressed within 1 h, before new cell types, such as smooth muscle and nerve cells, have formed. The expression data indicate that Pax-B is involved in nerve cell differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, University of Basel, Switzerland. groeger@ubaclu.unibas.ch
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gröger
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Callaerts
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Gehring
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schmid
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D004707:Endoderm / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007814:Larva; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D010063:Ovum / Q000502:physiology; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D010802:Phylogeny; D037401:Scyphozoa / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; C414094:Pax-B protein, Podocoryne carnea