Pax-6, eyes absent, and Prox 1 in eye development.

Eyes in different systematic groups including arthropods, molluscs and vertebrates probably have a common evolutionary origin. As a consequence of this, related genes are used for regulation of the early steps of eye development in different organisms. In this review, I briefly summarize data on three gene families which might be essential for eye development across species: Pax-6/eyeless, Eya/eyes absent and Prox/prospero with emphasis on our contribution here. Mechanisms of eye formation and the generation of different types of eyes in the course of evolution are discussed.