title: Rax : developmental and daily expression patterns in the rat pineal gland and retina.
abstract: Retina and anterior neural fold homeobox (Rax) gene encodes a transcription factor essential for vertebrate eye development. Recent microarray studies indicate that Rax is expressed in the adult rat pineal gland and retina. The present study reveals that Rax expression levels in the rat change significantly during retinal development with a peak occurring at embryonic day 18, whereas Rax expression in the pineal is relatively delayed and not detectable until embryonic day 20. In both tissues, Rax is expressed throughout postnatal development into adulthood. In the mature rat pineal gland, the abundance of Rax transcripts increases 2-fold during the light period with a peak occurring at dusk. These findings are consistent with the evidence that Rax is of functional importance in eye development and suggest a role of Rax in the developing pineal gland. In addition, it would appear possible that Rax contributes to phenotype maintenance in the mature retina and pineal gland and may facilitate 24-h changes in the pineal transcriptome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Kristian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rohde
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Møller
authors.forename: Martin F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Rath
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012160:Retina / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C512581:RAX protein, rat; D012333:RNA, Messenger