Abstract
Deuterostomes comprise a monophyletic group of animals that include chordates, xenoturbellids, and the Ambulacraria, which consists of echinoderms and hemichordates. The ancestral chordate probably had 14 Hox genes aligned linearly along the chromosome, with the posterior six genes showing an independent duplication compared to protostomes. In contrast, ambulacrarians are characterized by a duplication of the posterior Hox genes, resulting in three genes known as Hox11/13a, Hox11/13b, and Hox11/13c. Here, we isolated 12 Hox genes from the hemichordate Balanoglossus misakiensis and found an extra Hox gene that has not been reported in hemichordates. The extra B. misakiensis gene was suggested to be Hox8 from paralog-characteristic residues in its hexapepetide motif and homeodomain and a comparison with Strongylocentrotus purpuratus Hox genes. Our data suggest that the ancestor of echinoderms and hemichordates may have had a full complement of 12 Hox genes.
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Acknowledgments
We thank Mr. and Mrs. Hatano (Togi Fishermen’s Cooperative Association), Shonan Amemiya, and the students of Kanazawa University for their help in collecting the specimens. This research was supported by the Research Institute of Marine Invertebrates, Tokyo (RIMI), a Sasagawa Scientific Research Grant (to M.U.), and Narishige Science Award (to M.Y.).
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Communicated by H. Nishida
M. Urata and J. Tsuchimoto contributed equally to this study.
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Urata, M., Tsuchimoto, J., Yasui, K. et al. The Hox8 of the hemichordate Balanoglossus misakiensis . Dev Genes Evol 219, 377–382 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00427-009-0297-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00427-009-0297-5