Gene expression (ets) in the Polychaete Annelid Hediste (Nereis) diversicolor

The Ets family of transcription factors includes proteins with a highly con served DNA-binding domain, the ETS domain. Their genes are found throughout the metazoan world; we previously characterised two members of this family , named eis and erg, in the polychaete annelid, Hediste (Nereis) diversicol or. Expression studies by northern blot and in situ hybridization revealed the ets gene expression in the intestine; the erg gene is expressed in endo thelial cells of blood vessels, in cells of the coelomic cavity and in the cellular area between the last portion of the metastomium and the pygidium, involved in the growth of the animal. These preliminary results are discus sed but require further investigations to understand the biological functio ns of these transcription factors in annelids.