Zuber Michael E, Gestri Gaia, Viczian Andrea S, Barsacchi Giuseppina, Harris William A
Department of Anatomy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK.
Development. 2003 Nov;130(21):5155-67. doi: 10.1242/dev.00723. Epub 2003 Aug 27.
Several eye-field transcription factors (EFTFs) are expressed in the anterior region of the vertebrate neural plate and are essential for eye formation. The Xenopus EFTFs ET, Rx1, Pax6, Six3, Lhx2, tll and Optx2 are expressed in a dynamic, overlapping pattern in the presumptive eye field. Expression of an EFTF cocktail with Otx2 is sufficient to induce ectopic eyes outside the nervous system at high frequency. Using both cocktail subsets and functional (inductive) analysis of individual EFTFs, we have revealed a genetic network regulating vertebrate eye field specification. Our results support a model of progressive tissue specification in which neural induction then Otx2-driven neural patterning primes the anterior neural plate for eye field formation. Next, the EFTFs form a self-regulating feedback network that specifies the vertebrate eye field. We find striking similarities and differences to the network of homologous Drosophila genes that specify the eye imaginal disc, a finding that is consistent with the idea of a partial evolutionary conservation of eye formation.
几种眼场转录因子（EFTFs）在脊椎动物神经板的前部表达，对眼睛形成至关重要。非洲爪蟾的EFTFs ET、Rx1、Pax6、Six3、Lhx2、tll和Optx2在假定的眼场中以动态重叠模式表达。EFTF混合物与Otx2一起表达足以在神经系统外高频诱导异位眼。通过使用混合物子集和对单个EFTFs的功能（诱导）分析，我们揭示了一个调节脊椎动物眼场特化的遗传网络。我们的结果支持一种渐进组织特化模型，其中神经诱导然后是Otx2驱动的神经模式形成使前神经板为眼场形成做好准备。接下来，EFTFs形成一个自我调节的反馈网络，确定脊椎动物眼场。我们发现与指定果蝇眼成虫盘的同源基因网络有显著的相似性和差异，这一发现与眼睛形成部分进化保守的观点一致。
