The Planarian HOM/HOX Homeobox Genes (Plox) Expressed along the Anteroposterior Axis

In the freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica, five cDNAs for HOM/HOX homeobox genes were cloned and sequenced. Together with sequence data on HOM/HOX homeobox genes of platyhelminthes deposited in databases, comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences revealed that planarians have at least seven...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Developmental biology 1999-06, Vol.210 (2), p.456-468
Main Authors: Orii, Hidefumi, Kato, Kentaro, Umesono, Yoshihiko, Sakurai, Takashige, Agata, Kiyokazu, Watanabe, Kenji
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Body Patterning
Cloning, Molecular
Diptera - genetics
DNA, Complementary
Dugesia japonica
flatworm
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
Genes, Homeobox
homeobox
Homeodomain Proteins - biosynthesis
Homeodomain Proteins - chemistry
Homeodomain Proteins - genetics
Leeches - genetics
Mice
Molecular Sequence Data
Nematoda - genetics
pattern formation
Planarians - genetics
Planarians - physiology
Planarians - radiation effects
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Recombinant Proteins - biosynthesis
Regeneration
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Sequence Alignment
Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
Time Factors
X-Rays
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:In the freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica, five cDNAs for HOM/HOX homeobox genes were cloned and sequenced. Together with sequence data on HOM/HOX homeobox genes of platyhelminthes deposited in databases, comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences revealed that planarians have at least seven HOM/HOX homeobox genes, Plox1 to Plox7 (planarian HOM/HOX homeobox genes). Whole-mount in situ hybridization and RT-PCR revealed that Plox4 and Plox5 were increasingly expressed along a spatial gradient in the posterior region of intact animals. During regeneration, Plox5 was expressed only in the posterior region of regenerating body pieces, suggesting that the gene is involved in the anteroposterior patterning in planarians. Plox5 was not found to be expressed in a blastema-specific manner, which contradicts a previous report (J. R. Bayascas, E. Castillo, A. M. Muños-Mármol, and E. Saló. Development 124, 141–148, 1997). X-ray irradiation experiments showed that Plox5 was expressed at least in some cells other than neoblasts, but that the induction of Plox5 expression during regeneration might require neoblasts.
ISSN:0012-1606
1095-564X
DOI:10.1006/dbio.1999.9275