title: Mesocestoides corti: a LIM-homeobox gene upregulated during strobilar development.
abstract: To understand the molecular processes regulating morphological changes during cestode life histories we focused on homeodomain (HD) proteins, a family of transcription factors essential for pattern formation during development. In this study we report the isolation of the partial sequence of MvLim, a LIM-HD gene of Mesocestoides corti. Other members of this gene family, characterized in Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans and vertebrates contribute to cell fate determination of various neuronal subtypes. Phylogenetic analyses showed that MvLim clusters with members of the LIN-11 group and that platyhelminths have at least two different LIM-HD genes. By real time PCR we determined that MvLim expression is 20-fold greater in segmented worms than in tetrathyridia. The enhancement of MvLim expression during strobilation could be associated to changes in the innervation pattern occurring in proglottids development.
authors.affiliation: Seccion Bioquimica, Facultad de Ciencias, Igua 4225, CP 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Ana Inés
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Lalanne
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Britos
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ehrlich
authors.forename: Estela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Castillo
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000737:chemistry*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005801:Genes, Homeobox / Q000235:genetics*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008645:Mesocestoides / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D018509:DNA, Helminth; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins