Motor neuron specification in worms, flies and mice: conserved and 'lost' mechanisms.
Motor neuron differentiation has been studied intensively in both invertebrates and vertebrates in recent years. These studies have led to the identification of several key regulatory genes acting to generate motor neurons and to specify their subclass identities. By comparing findings from Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila and vertebrate model systems, it is apparent that both evolutionarily conserved and non-conserved mechanisms are used.
Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Ave., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. sthor@HMS.Harvard.edu
Stefan
S
Thor
John B
JB
Thomas
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics
D018398:Homeodomain Proteins