IDENTIFICATION OF 2 ETS RELATED GENES IN A MARINE WORM, THE POLYCHAETE ANNELID NEREIS-DIVERSICOLOR

The ETS family includes a growing number of transcription factors with a highly conserved DNA-binding domain, the ETS domain. We have used P CR amplification with degenerated oligonucleotides to isolate two puta tive ETS DNA-binding coding domains in a primitive form of coelomate, the polychaete annelid Nereis diversicolor. These sequences are highly related to the ETS and ERG groups of the ets gene family. For the erg sequence an adjacent region encoding for 91 amino acids has been char acterized after library screening, and we show an expression in cells isolated from the coelomic cavity of the animal. A phylogenic analysis confirms that the ets-1/ets-2 and the erg/fli dichotomy arose specifi cally in the vertebrate lineage.