Duplicate dmbx1 genes regulate progenitor cell cycle and differentiation during zebrafish midbrain and retinal development.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Dmbx1 gene is important for the development of the midbrain and hindbrain, and mouse gene targeting experiments reveal that this gene is required for mediating postnatal and adult feeding behaviours. A single Dmbx1 gene exists in terrestrial vertebrate genomes, while teleost genomes have at least two paralogs. We compared the loss of function of the zebrafish dmbx1a and dmbx1b genes in order to gain insight into the molecular mechanism by which dmbx1 regulates neurogenesis, and to begin to understand why these duplicate genes have been retained in the zebrafish genome.

Results

Using gene knockdown experiments we examined the function of the dmbx1 gene paralogs in zebrafish, dmbx1a and dmbx1b in regulating neurogenesis in the developing retina and midbrain. Dos

SUBMITTER: Wong L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2954992 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature