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Squid Pax-6 and eye development.

S I Tomarev·P Callaerts·L Kos·R Zinovieva·G Halder·W Gehring·J Piatigorsky
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Abstract

Pax-6 in vertebrates and its homolog eyeless in Drosophila are known to be essential for eye development. Here we investigate the role of Pax-6 in eye development in another major systematic group, molluscs. We demonstrate that alternatively spliced RNAs derived from a single Pax-6 gene in the squid (Loligo opalescens) are expressed in the embryonic eye, olfactory organ, brain, and arms. Despite significant sequence differences between squid Pax-6 and Drosophila eyeless in the region outside the paired- and homeodomains, squid Pax-6 is able to induce the formation of ectopic eyes in Drosophila. Our results support the idea that Pax-6 related genes are necessary for eye and olfactory system formation throughout the animal kingdom.

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Amino Acid SequenceAnimalsBase SequenceCloning, MolecularDNA PrimersDNA, ComplementaryDNA-Binding ProteinsDecapodiformesEmbryo, NonmammalianEyeEye ProteinsGene Expression Regulation, DevelopmentalHomeodomain ProteinsHumansIn Situ HybridizationMolecular Sequence DataMolluscaPAX6 Transcription FactorPaired Box Transcription FactorsPolymerase Chain ReactionRepressor ProteinsSequence Homology, Amino AcidTranscription FactorsTranscription, GeneticJournal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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S I Tomarev, P Callaerts, L Kos, R Zinovieva, G Halder, W Gehring, J Piatigorsky. 1997-03-18. Squid Pax-6 and eye development.. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.94.6.2421

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