Hox genes and the evolution of vertebrate axial morphology
- PMID:7768176
- DOI: 10.1242/dev.121.2.333
Hox genes and the evolution of vertebrate axial morphology
Abstract
A common form of evolutionary variation between vertebrate taxa is the different numbers of segments that contribute to various regions of the anterior-posterior axis; cervical vertebrae, thoracic vertebrae, etc. The term 'transposition' is used to describe this phenomenon. Genetic experiments with homeotic genes in mice have demonstrated that Hox genes are in part responsible for the specification of segmental identity along the anterior-posterior axis, and it has been proposed that an axial Hox code determines the morphology of individual vertebrae (Kessel, M. and Gruss, P. (1990) Science 249, 347-379). This paper presents a comparative study of the developmental patterns of homeobox gene expression and developmental morphology between animals that have homologous regulatory genes but different morphologies. The axial expression boundaries of 23 Hox genes were examined in the paraxial mesoderm of chick, and 16 in mouse embryos by in situ hybridization and immunolocalization techniques. Hox gene anterior expression boundaries were found to be transposed in concert with morphological boundaries. This data contributes a mechanistic level to the assumed homology of these regions in vertebrates. The recognition of mechanistic homology supports the historical homology of basic patterning mechanisms between all organisms that share these genes.
Similar articles
- Evidence that Hoxa expression domains are evolutionarily transposed in spinal ganglia, and are established by forward spreading in paraxial mesoderm.Gaunt SJ, Dean W, Sang H, Burton RD.Gaunt SJ, et al.Mech Dev. 1999 Apr;82(1-2):109-18. doi: 10.1016/s0925-4773(99)00018-0.Mech Dev. 1999.PMID:10354475
- Expression patterns of threespine stickleback hox genes and insights into the evolution of the vertebrate body axis.Ahn DG, Gibson G.Ahn DG, et al.Dev Genes Evol. 1999 Aug;209(8):482-94. doi: 10.1007/s004270050281.Dev Genes Evol. 1999.PMID:10415325
- Hox genes and vertebrate axial pattern.Wellik DM.Wellik DM.Curr Top Dev Biol. 2009;88:257-78. doi: 10.1016/S0070-2153(09)88009-5.Curr Top Dev Biol. 2009.PMID:19651308Review.
- Cdx1 and Cdx2 have overlapping functions in anteroposterior patterning and posterior axis elongation.van den Akker E, Forlani S, Chawengsaksophak K, de Graaff W, Beck F, Meyer BI, Deschamps J.van den Akker E, et al.Development. 2002 May;129(9):2181-93. doi: 10.1242/dev.129.9.2181.Development. 2002.PMID:11959827
- Evolutionary shifts of vertebrate structures and Hox expression up and down the axial series of segments: a consideration of possible mechanisms.Gaunt SJ.Gaunt SJ.Int J Dev Biol. 2000;44(1):109-17.Int J Dev Biol. 2000.PMID:10761855Review.
Cited by
- Fossoriality and evolutionary development in two Cretaceous mammaliamorphs.Mao F, Zhang C, Liu C, Meng J.Mao F, et al.Nature. 2021 Apr;592(7855):577-582. doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03433-2. Epub 2021 Apr 7.Nature. 2021.PMID:33828300
- Future Tail Tales: A Forward-Looking, Integrative Perspective on Tail Research.Schwaner MJ, Hsieh ST, Braasch I, Bradley S, Campos CB, Collins CE, Donatelli CM, Fish FE, Fitch OE, Flammang BE, Jackson BE, Jusufi A, Mekdara PJ, Patel A, Swalla BJ, Vickaryous M, McGowan CP.Schwaner MJ, et al.Integr Comp Biol. 2021 Sep 8;61(2):521-537. doi: 10.1093/icb/icab082.Integr Comp Biol. 2021.PMID:33999184Free PMC article.Review.
- Patterning in time and space: HoxB cluster gene expression in the developing chick embryo.Gouveia A, Marcelino HM, Gonçalves L, Palmeirim I, Andrade RP.Gouveia A, et al.Cell Cycle. 2015;14(1):135-45. doi: 10.4161/15384101.2014.972868.Cell Cycle. 2015.PMID:25602523Free PMC article.
- Hox genes pattern the anterior-posterior axis of the juvenile but not the larva in a maximally indirect developing invertebrate, Micrura alaskensis (Nemertea).Hiebert LS, Maslakova SA.Hiebert LS, et al.BMC Biol. 2015 Apr 11;13:23. doi: 10.1186/s12915-015-0133-5.BMC Biol. 2015.PMID:25888821Free PMC article.
- Evolution of Hox gene clusters in deuterostomes.Pascual-Anaya J, D'Aniello S, Kuratani S, Garcia-Fernàndez J.Pascual-Anaya J, et al.BMC Dev Biol. 2013 Jul 2;13:26. doi: 10.1186/1471-213X-13-26.BMC Dev Biol. 2013.PMID:23819519Free PMC article.Review.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Related information
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Molecular Biology Databases
Research Materials