Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Specification of sense-organ identity by a Caenorhabditis elegans Pax-6 homologue

Nature volume 377, pages 55–59 (1995)Cite this article

Abstract

The Pax-6 transcription-factor gene, containing a paired domain and a paired-type homeodomain, is conserved in structure and ubiquitously present among Metazoa1á¤-5. It is required for develop-ment of the central nervous system, and is mutated in human aniri-dia, mouse and rat small eye and Drosophila eyeless6. We identified the Pax-6 gene of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans in genetic studies of male tail morphology7,8. C. elegans Pax-6 encodes at least two independent genetic functions. One, like other Pax-6 genes, contains paired and homeodomains; this constitutes the genetic locus vab-3 (ref. 9). The other, described here, is expressed from an internal promoter and contains only the homeo-domain portion; this constitutes the genetic locus mab-18 (ref. 7). The mab-18 form of the gene is expressed in a peripheral sense organ and is necessary for specification of sense-organ identity. Its function in this context could be to regulate the expression of cell recognition and adhesion proteins required for sense-organ assembly.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Walther, C. & Gruss, P. Development 113, 1435–1449 (1991).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Püschel, A. W., Gruss, P. & Westerfield, M. Development 114, 643–651 (1992).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Glaser, T., Walton, D. S. & Maas, R. L. Nature Genet. 2, 232–239 (1992).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Quiring, R., Walldorf, U., Kloter, U. & Gehring, W. J. Science 265, 785–789 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Czerny, T. & Busslinger, M. Molec. cell. Biol. 15, 2858–2871 (1995).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Hanson, I. & Van Heyningen, V. Trends Genet. 11, 268–272 (1995).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Baird, S. E., Fitch, D. H., Kassem, I. A. & Emmons, S. W. Development 113, 515–526 (1991).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Chow, K. L. & Emmons, S. W. Development 120, 2579–2593 (1994).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Chisholm, A. D. & Horvitz, R. Nature 377, 52–55 (1995).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Lewis, J. A. & Hodgkin, J. A. J. comp. Neurol. 172, 489–510 (1977).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Hedgecock, E. M., Culotti, J. G., Hall, D. H. & Stern, B. D. Development 100, 365–382 (1987).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Carriere, C. et al. Molec. cell. Biol. 13, 7257–7266 (1993).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Sulston, J. E., Albertson, D. G. & Thomson, J. N. Devl Biol. 78, 542–576 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Hedgecock, E. M. Trends Neurosci. 8, 288–293 (1985).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Chamberlin, H. M. & Sternberg, P. Devl Biol. 170, 679–689 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Burr, A. H. Photochem. Photobiol. 41, 577–582 (1985).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Chow, K. L., Hall, D. H. & Emmons, S. W. Development (in the press).

  18. Krause, M. & Hirsh, D. Cell 49, 753–761 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Mello, C. C., Kramer, J. M., Stinchcomb, D. & Ambros, V. EMBO J. 10, 3959–3970 (1991).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Okkema, P. G. & Fire, A. Development 120, 2175–2186 (1994).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Palazzolo, M. J. et al. Gene 88, 25–36 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Fire, A., White-Harrison, S. & Dixon, D. Gene 93, 189–198 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Chalfie, M., Tu, Y., Euskirchen, G., Ward, W. W. & Prasher, D. C. Science 263, 802–805 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Clark, S. G., Lu, X. & Horvitz, H. R. Genetics 137, 987–997 (1994).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, New York, 10461, USA

    Yinhua Zhang & Scott W. Emmons

Authors
  1. Yinhua Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Scott W. Emmons
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zhang, Y., Emmons, S. Specification of sense-organ identity by a Caenorhabditis elegans Pax-6 homologue. Nature 377, 55–59 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/377055a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/377055a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing