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T‐box and homeobox genes from the ctenophore Pleurobrachia pileus : Comparison of Brachyury , Tbx2/3 and Tlx in basal metazoans and bilaterians
Author(s) -
Martinelli Cosimo,
Spring Jürg
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2005.08.008
Subject(s) - homeobox , brachyury , biology , basal (medicine) , evolutionary biology , zoology , gene , genetics , gene expression , mesoderm , embryonic stem cell , insulin , endocrinology
Most animals are classified as Bilateria and only four phyla are still extant as outgroups, namely Porifera, Placozoa, Cnidaria and Ctenophora. These non‐bilaterians were not considered to have a mesoderm and hence mesoderm‐specific genes. However, the T‐box gene Brachyury could be isolated from sponges, placozoans and cnidarians. Here, we describe the first Brachyury and a Tbx2/3 homologue from a ctenophore. In addition, analysing T‐box and homeobox genes under comparable conditions in all four basal phyla lead to the discovery of novel T‐box genes in sponges and cnidarians and a Tlx homeobox gene in the ctenophore Pleurobrachia pileus . The conservation of the T‐box and the homeobox genes suggest that distinct subfamilies with different roles in bilaterians were already split in non‐bilaterians.