title: Identification of four Engrailed genes in the Japanese lamprey, Lethenteron japonicum.
abstract: We have isolated four homologs of Engrailed genes from the Japanese lamprey, Lethenteron japonicum, an agnathan that occupies a critical phylogenic position between cephalochordates and gnathostomes. We named these four genes LjEngrailedA, LjEngrailedB, LjEngrailedC, and LjEngrailedD. LjEngrailedA, LjEngrailedB, and LjEngrailedD share a major expression domain in the presumptive midbrain-hindbrain boundary region of the central nervous system, although their levels and timing of expression differed. On the other hand, LjEngrailedC transcripts were in the pharyngeal ectoderm and the ventral ectoderm of the body wall. In addition, LjEngrailedA was expressed in the ventral side of the epibranchial muscle precursors. LjEngrailedD transcripts were seen in the mesodermal cells of the mandibular arch and later in a group of cells responsible for the formation of the upper lip, lower lip, and velum. Our results provide clues to the evolution of these structures as well as a possible scenario for duplication events of Engrailed genes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Developmental Biology, Graduate School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: Manami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishihara
authors.forename: Koh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Onimaru
authors.forename: Nobuhiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kokubo
authors.forename: Shigehiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuraku
authors.forename: Rie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kusakabe
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuratani
authors.forename: Mikiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D016678:Genome; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D007798:Lampreys; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D010802:Phylogeny; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C106185:engrailed homeobox proteins