title: Prox1 is differentially localized during lens development.
abstract: Prox1, the vertebrate cognate of Drosophila Prospero, is a homeodomain protein essential for the development of the lens, liver and lymphatic system. While it is well established that the subcellular distribution of Prospero changes during development, this had not been demonstrated for Prox1. Here, high-resolution confocal microscopy demonstrated that Prox1 protein is predominately cytoplasmic in the lens placode as well as the lens epithelium and germinative zone throughout development. However during fiber cell differentiation, Prox1 protein redistributes to cell nuclei. Finally, as lens fiber cells condense their chromatin in response to lens denucleation, Prox1 remains in the nucleus but does not appear to interact with DNA. Thus, it appears that the function of Prox1, like that of its Drosophila cognate Prospero, is at least partially controlled by changes in its subcellular distribution during development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA. duncanm@udel.edu
authors.forename: Melinda K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Duncan
authors.forename: Wenwu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Dong-Jin
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Stanislav I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Tomarev
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000196:embryology*; D051379:Mice; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D014157:Transcription Factors; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D000098551:Prospero-Related Homeobox 1 Protein
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C073099:pros protein, Drosophila; D000098551:Prospero-Related Homeobox 1 Protein