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Neither MafA/L‐Maf nor MafB is essential for lens development in mice
Author(s) -
Takeuchi Takashi,
Kudo Takashi,
Ogata Kiyohito,
Hamada Michito,
Nakamura Megumi,
Kito Katsumi,
Abe Yasuhito,
Ueda Norifumi,
Yamamoto Masayuki,
Engel James Douglas,
Takahashi Satoru
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
genes to cells
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.912
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1365-2443
pISSN - 1356-9597
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2443.2009.01321.x
Subject(s) - biology , lens (geology) , transcription factor , microbiology and biotechnology , lens fiber , xenopus , gene , genetics , paleontology
The importance of the large Maf transcription factor family has been investigated in lens development in the chick, Xenopus and mammals. Previously we reported that c‐maf ‐deficient mice exhibit severe defects in lens fibre cells. Here, we report the roles of other large Mafs, MafA/L‐Maf and MafB, during mouse lens development. MafA/L‐Maf and MafB were expressed in lens epithelial cells and fibre cells at E12.5 but had largely disappeared from the lens at E18.5. The lens of mafA ‐, mafB ‐deficient and mafA::mafB double‐deficient mice developed normally. In c‐maf‐ deficient mice, the pattern of expression of MafA and MafB differed from their expression in wild‐type mice. Moreover, the expression of crystallin genes was unchanged in mafA ‐, mafB ‐ and mafA::mafB double‐deficient lens. These results indicate that c‐Maf alone is essential for lens development, and that MafA/L‐Maf and MafB are dispensable in mice.