Abstract
Nkx5 family members are homeobox transcription factors important for sensory organ development. Several members of the Nkx5 family are expressed in the eye, brain, developing ear, and lateral line. Members of this family have been previously identified in medaka, chick, and mouse. Here, we characterize two members of the Nkx5 family, Nkx5.3 and SOHo, in Xenopus laevis. We verify the identity of X. laevis Nkx5.3 and SOHo by phylogenetic comparison to chicken, medaka, and zebrafish orthologs. Both Nkx5.3 and SOHo are expressed in the developing eye, ear, lateral line system, and cranial neurons as determined by in situ hybridization.
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Acknowledgments
We thank Barry Knox for the kind gift of Nkx5.3 cDNA. We thank A. Rorick and K. Fannin for persistent attempts at isolation of SOHo cDNA. This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grant EY015480 to HME.
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Communicated by Matthias Hammerschmidt
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Kelly, L.E., El-Hodiri, H.M. Xenopus laevis Nkx5.3 and sensory organ homeobox (SOHo) are expressed in developing sensory organs and ganglia of the head and anterior trunk. Dev Genes Evol 226, 423–428 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00427-016-0555-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00427-016-0555-2