Research Article

You have full text access to this OnlineOpen article

Identification of four Engrailed genes in the Japanese lamprey, Lethenteron japonicum

  1. Manami Matsuura1,
  2. Hidenori Nishihara2,
  3. Koh Onimaru1,
  4. Nobuhiro Kokubo1,
  5. Shigehiro Kuraku3,†,
  6. Rie Kusakabe3,‡,
  7. Norihiro Okada2,
  8. Shigeru Kuratani3,
  9. Mikiko Tanaka1,*

Article first published online: 19 MAY 2008

DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.21552

Issue

Developmental Dynamics

Developmental Dynamics

Volume 237, Issue 6, pages 1581–1589, June 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Matsuura, M., Nishihara, H., Onimaru, K., Kokubo, N., Kuraku, S., Kusakabe, R., Okada, N., Kuratani, S. and Tanaka, M. (2008), Identification of four Engrailed genes in the Japanese lamprey, Lethenteron japonicum. Dev. Dyn., 237: 1581–1589. doi: 10.1002/dvdy.21552

Author Information

  1. 1

    Laboratory for Developmental Biology, Graduate School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan

  2. 2

    Laboratory for Molecular Evolution, Graduate School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan

  3. 3

    Laboratory for Evolutionary Morphology, Center for Developmental Biology, RIKEN, Kobe, Japan

  1. †

    Laboratory of Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitaetsstrasse 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany

  2. ‡

    Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodaicho, Nadaku, Kobe 657-8501, Japan

*Graduate School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, B-17, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8501, Japan

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 22 MAY 2008
  2. Article first published online: 19 MAY 2008
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 24 MAR 2008

Funded by

  • Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture of Japan
  • Hayashi Memorial Foundation of Female Natural Scientists

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (757K)

Keywords:

  • Engrailed;
  • lamprey;
  • homeodomains;
  • midbrain;
  • hindbrain;
  • epibranchial muscle;
  • mandibular arch

Abstract

We have isolated four homologs of Engrailed genes from the Japanese lamprey, Lethenteron japonicum, an agnathan that occupies a critical phylogenic position between cephalochordates and gnathostomes. We named these four genes LjEngrailedA, LjEngrailedB, LjEngrailedC, and LjEngrailedD. LjEngrailedA, LjEngrailedB, and LjEngrailedD share a major expression domain in the presumptive midbrain–hindbrain boundary region of the central nervous system, although their levels and timing of expression differed. On the other hand, LjEngrailedC transcripts were in the pharyngeal ectoderm and the ventral ectoderm of the body wall. In addition, LjEngrailedA was expressed in the ventral side of the epibranchial muscle precursors. LjEngrailedD transcripts were seen in the mesodermal cells of the mandibular arch and later in a group of cells responsible for the formation of the upper lip, lower lip, and velum. Our results provide clues to the evolution of these structures as well as a possible scenario for duplication events of Engrailed genes. Developmental Dynamics 237:1581–1589, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (757K)