Evolution of regulatory mechanisms controlling distal-less-related homeobox gene expression

我的实验室研究了一个基因家族，DLX基因，它在大量动物物种的胚胎发育过程中发挥着重要的调节作用。它们是发育过程中发生的遗传级联反应的一部分，以确定不同的细胞类型和胚胎的模式，特别是在鳃弓中，这是形成面部骨骼的胚胎结构，在大脑的特定部位，在耳朵中，在嗅器官和四肢中。我们已经确定了DLX基因的某些部分，这些部分使它们能够在胚胎发育的特定部分发挥功能。我们证明了这些被称为增强子的基因片段不仅可以在它们被识别的物种(例如小鼠)中正常工作，而且在远缘动物(例如鱼类)中也可以正常工作。我们现在想要确定这些增强子是在脊椎动物进化过程中获得的，以赋予DLX基因新的功能。为此，我们正在研究七鳃鳗，一种无颌脊椎动物。七鳃鳗有DLX基因，它们在嘴巴区域表达。我们的假设是，DLX基因表达模式的变化有助于脊椎动物进化过程中颌骨器官的进化。这项研究将使我们能够了解基因如何在进化过程中获得新的功能，从而参与形态和功能创新的出现。我们的研究还将帮助我们更好地了解基因如何控制发育中的胚胎的形态。

My laboratory studies a family of genes, the Dlx genes, which play important regulatory roles during development of the embryos of a large number of animal species.  They are parts of genetic cascades taking place during development to determine the different cell types and the patterning of the embryo, notably in the branchial arches, embryonic structures that give rise to skeleton of the face, in specific parts of the brain, in the ears, in the olfactory organs and in the limbs. We have identified the parts of the Dlx genes that enable them to function in specific parts of the embryo during development.  We showed that these gene fragments, called enhancers, can function properly not only in the species where they have been identified (e.g. mouse) but also in distantly related animals (e.g. fish).  We now want to determine when the enhancers were acquired during evolution of vertebrates to confer novel functions to the Dlx genes. For this, we are studying the lamprey, a jawless vertebrate. Lampreys have Dlx genes and they are expressed in the mouth area. Our hypothesis is that changes in the patterns of expression of Dlx genes were instrumental in the evolution of the jaw apparatus during vertebrate evolution. This research will enable us to understand how genes acquire new functions during evolution, thus participating in the emergence of morphological and functional innovations. Our research will also help us better understand how genes control the morphology of the developing embryo.