Nuclear receptor NR4A is required for patterning at the ends of the planarian anterior-posterior axis.

ABSTRACT: Positional information is fundamental to animal regeneration and tissue turnover. In planarians, muscle cells express signaling molecules to promote positional identity. At the ends of the anterior-posterior (AP) axis, positional identity is determined by anterior and posterior poles, which are putative organizers. We identified a gene, nr4A, that is required for anterior- and posterior-pole localization to axis extremes. nr4A encodes a nuclear receptor expressed predominantly in planarian muscle, including strongly at AP-axis ends and the poles. nr4A RNAi causes patterning gene expression domains to retract from head and tail tips, and ectopic anterior and posterior anatomy (e.g., eyes) to iteratively appear more internally. Our study reveals a novel patterning phenot

SUBMITTER: Li DJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6534381 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature