NEW PERSPECTIVES ON EYE EVOLUTION

Authors
HALDER G CALLAERTS P GEHRING WJ
Citation
G. Halder et al., NEW PERSPECTIVES ON EYE EVOLUTION, Current opinion in genetics & development, 5(5), 1995, pp. 602-609
Citations number
68
Categorie Soggetti
Biology,"Cell Biology","Biothechnology & Applied Migrobiology","Genetics & Heredity
Journal title
Current opinion in genetics & development → ACNP
ISSN journal
0959437X
Volume
5
Issue
5
Year of publication
1995
Pages
602 - 609
Database
ISI
SICI code
0959-437X(1995)5:5<602:NPOEE>2.0.ZU;2-A
Abstract
The highly complex eyes of vertebrates, insects and molluscs have long been considered to be of independent evolutionary origin. Recently, h owever, Pax-6, a highly conserved transcription factor, has been ident ified as a key regulator of eye development in both mammals and flies. Homologues of Pax-6 have also been identified in species from other p hyla, including molluscs. The wide variety of eyes in the animal kingd om may, therefore, have evolved from a single ancestral photosensitive organ.