Hox genes in the antarctic polyplacophoran Nuttallochiton mirandus

Abstract Hox genes are conserved across all bilaterians and encode transcription factors involved in the formation of the anteroposterior axis during embryo development. Differences in homeotic gene evolution have been observed not only between deuterostomes and protostomes, but also between the two...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution
Main Authors: Biscotti, Maria Assunta, Canapa, Adriana, Olmo, Ettore, Barucca, Marco
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2007
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Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jez.b.21177
https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fjez.b.21177
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/jez.b.21177
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Summary:Abstract Hox genes are conserved across all bilaterians and encode transcription factors involved in the formation of the anteroposterior axis during embryo development. Differences in homeotic gene evolution have been observed not only between deuterostomes and protostomes, but also between the two large protostome clades, Ecdysozoa and Lophotrochozoa. Among lophotrochozoans, the phylum Mollusca displays high diversity of body plans, ranging from the wormlike appearance of aplacophorans to the complex body plan of cephalopods. Using a PCR‐based method, we were able to identify eight Hox genes in the polyplacophoran Nuttallochiton mirandus , two orthologous to the anterior class ( lab , pb ), four to the central class ( Scr , Lox5 , Antp , Lox2 ) and two to the posterior class ( Post‐1 , Post‐2 ). Comparison with the results obtained in other molluscs seems to confirm the conservation of Hox genes in this phylum in terms of both presence and characteristics. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 308B:507–513, 2007 . © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.