Amphioxus Gli Gene and Hedgehog Signalling
Author Information
Author(s): Shimeld Sebastian M., van den Heuvel Marcel, Dawber Rebecca, Briscoe James
Primary Institution: Department of Zoology, University of Oxford
Hypothesis
Amphioxus has a single Gli gene that is functionally distinct from vertebrate Gli genes.
Conclusion
Amphioxus has evolved an increased diversity of Gli proteins through alternate splicing, while vertebrates have achieved this through gene duplication.
Supporting Evidence
- Amphioxus has a single Gli gene that is expressed in developing embryos and larvae.
- The single Gli gene produces two distinct transcripts encoding different proteins.
- AmphiGli-L acts as a transcriptional activator, while AmphiGli-S functions as a weak repressor.
Takeaway
Amphioxus has a special gene that helps it develop, and it works a bit differently than similar genes in fish and other animals.
Methodology
The study involved sequence alignments, phylogenetic analyses, in situ hybridization, and functional assays in cell culture and chick embryos.
Limitations
The study does not determine if neural and mesodermal expression of AmphiGli includes both long and short forms.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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