title: Bone morphogenetic protein is required for dorso-ventral patterning in the planarian Dugesia japonica.
abstract: In order to clarify the function of the Djbmp (Dugesia japonica bone morphogenetic protein) gene in planarian body patterning, we carried out knockdown of this gene by RNA interference. When the planarians were treated with double-stranded RNA of Djbmp, a bulge formed on the dorsal side, with a dent in the middle of the bulge, and the body surface inside the dent was smoothened and less pigmented. In situ hybridization of the DjIFb gene, which is expressed in the body margin, revealed that the additional body margin was formed ectopically at the region surrounding the dent. The Djbmp-knockdown planarians often had a pair of incomplete nerve cords in the dorsal side, in addition to the original pair of ventral nerve cords. Taken together, we concluded that the Djbmp-knockdown induced formation of an ectopic ventral side, suggesting that Djbmp is required for the dorso-ventral body patterning in the planarian.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Regeneration Biology, Department of Life Science, University of Hyogo, 3-2-1 Koto, Kamigori, Akou-gun, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan. orii@sci.u-hyogo.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hidefumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Orii
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D010932:Planarians / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference
chemical_list: D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins