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Homeobox Genes Expressed During Echinoderm Arm Regeneration

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Abstract

Regeneration in echinoderms has proved to be more amenable to study in the laboratory than the more classical vertebrate models, since the smaller genome size and the absence of multiple orthologs for different genes in echinoderms simplify the analysis of gene function during regeneration. In order to understand the role of homeobox-containing genes during arm regeneration in echinoderms, we isolated the complement of genes belonging to the Hox class that are expressed during this process in two major echinoderm groups: asteroids (Echinaster sepositus and Asterias rubens) and ophiuroids (Amphiura filiformis), both of which show an extraordinary capacity for regeneration. By exploiting the sequence conservation of the homeobox, putative orthologs of several Hox genes belonging to the anterior, medial, and posterior groups were isolated. We also report the isolation of a few Hox-like genes expressed in the same systems.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge the help of the personnel at the Kristineberg Marine Station and at the National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies (Monastir). We thank Olga Ortega-Martinez (Kristineberg) for the picture of an Amphiura regenerating tip.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Genetics Department, University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 645, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    Yousra Ben Khadra, Michael Thorndyke & Pedro Martinez

  2. Institut Català de Recerca i Estudis Avancats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain

    Pedro Martinez

  3. Kristineberg Marine Research Station, 450 34, Fiskebackskil, Sweden

    Michael Thorndyke

  4. Laboratoire de Recherche, Génétique, Biodiversité et Valorisation des Bioressources, Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Monastir, Université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia

    Yousra Ben Khadra & Khaled Said

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  1. Yousra Ben Khadra
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  2. Khaled Said
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  3. Michael Thorndyke
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  4. Pedro Martinez
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Correspondence to Yousra Ben Khadra or Pedro Martinez.

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Ben Khadra, Y., Said, K., Thorndyke, M. et al. Homeobox Genes Expressed During Echinoderm Arm Regeneration. Biochem Genet 52, 166–180 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10528-013-9637-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10528-013-9637-2

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