Xenopus pax6 mutants affect eye development and other organ systems, and have phenotypic similarities to human aniridia patients
Abstract
Mutations in the Pax6 gene cause ocular defects in both vertebrate and invertebrate animal species, and the disease aniridia in humans. Despite extensive experimentation on this gene in multiple species, including humans, we still do not understand the earliest effects on development mediated by this gene. This prompted us to develop pax6 mutant lines in Xenopus tropicalis taking advantage of the utility of the Xenopus system for examining early development and in addition to establish a model for studying the human disease aniridia in an accessible lower vertebrate. We have generated mutants in pax6 by using Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nuclease (TALEN) constructs for gene editing in X. tropicalis. Embryos with putative null mutations show severe eye abnormalities and changes in brain development, as assessed by changes in morphology and gene expression. One gene that we found is downregulated very early in development in these pax6 mutants is myc, a gene involved in pluripotency and progenitor cell maintenance and likely a mediator of some key pax6 functions in the embryo. Changes in gene expression in the developing brain and pancreas reflect other important functions of pax6 during development. In mutations with pa...Continue Reading
References
Cloning and expression analysis of the anterior parahox genes, Gsh1 and Gsh2 from Xenopus tropicalis
Citations
Related Concepts
Related Feeds
Adult Stem Cells
Adult stem cells reside in unique niches that provide vital cues for their survival, self-renewal, and differentiation. They hold great promise for use in tissue repair and regeneration as a novel therapeutic strategies. Here is the latest research.
CRISPR Ribonucleases Deactivation
CRISPR-Cas system enables the editing of genes to create or correct mutations. This feed focuses on mechanisms that underlie deactivation of CRISPR ribonucleases. Here is the latest research.
Antisense Oligonucleotides: ND
This feed focuses on antisense oligonucleotide therapies such as Inotersen, Nusinursen, and Patisiran, in neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
CRISPR (general)
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) are DNA sequences in the genome that are recognized and cleaved by CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas). CRISPR-Cas system enables the editing of genes to create or correct mutations. Discover the latest research on CRISPR here.
CRISPR for Genome Editing
Genome editing technologies enable the editing of genes to create or correct mutations. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) are DNA sequences in the genome that are recognized and cleaved by CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas). Here is the latest research on the use of CRISPR-Cas system in gene editing.
Barrel cortex
Here is the latest research on barrel cortex, a region of somatosensory and motor corticies in the brain, which are used by animals that rely on whiskers for world exploration.