Distinct roles for distal-less genes Dlx3 and Dlx5 in regulating ectodermal development in Xenopus

In vertebrates, there are six or more copies of genes related to the Drosop hila pattern formation homeodomain gene Distal-less. Among this family, Dlx 3 and Dlx5 share extensive sequence homology and have similar, but distinct ive, expression patterns, suggesting that these two factors may have substa ntially redundant developmental functions. Here we show that at the earlies t phases of embryogenesis in Xenopus, there are significant differences bet ween Dlx3 and Dlx5 expression and that this correlates with different funct ions in the restriction of neural crest and neural plate boundaries, respec tively. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.