PAX-6 IN DEVELOPMENT AND EVOLUTION

Pax-6 is a member of the Par gene class and encodes a protein containi ng a paired domain and a homeodomain. The molecular characterization o f Pax-6 genes from species of different animal phyla and the analysis of Pax-6 function in the developing eyes and central nervous system of vertebrates, Drosophila melanogaster, and Caenorhabditis elegans sugg est that Pax-6 homologues share conserved functions. In this review, w e present recent data on the structural and functional characterizatio n of Pax-6 homologues from species of different animal phyla. We discu ss the implications of these findings for our understanding of the dev elopment and evolution of eyes and nervous systems.