Microphthalmia and Disrupted Retinal Development Due to a Knock-in/Knock-Out Allele at the Locus.

Purpose: Visual System Homeobox 2 () is a transcription factor expressed in the developing retina that regulates tissue identity, growth, and fate determination. Several mutations in the gene exist in mice, including a spontaneous nonsense mutation and two targeted missense mutations originally identified in humans. Here, we expand the genetic repertoire to include a reporter allele ( ) designed to express beta-Galactosidase (bGal) and simultaneously disrupt function (knock-in/knock-out).

Microphthalmia and disrupted retinal development due to a knock-in/knock-out allele at the locus.

Visual System Homeobox 2 () is a transcription factor expressed in the developing retina that regulates tissue identity, growth, and fate determination. Several mutations in the gene exist in mice, including a spontaneous nonsense mutation and two targeted missense mutations originally identified in humans. Here, we expand the genetic repertoire to include a reporter allele ( ) designed to express beta-Galactosidase (b-GAL) and simultaneously disrupt function (knock-in/knock-out).

Cephalopod retinal development shows vertebrate-like mechanisms of neurogenesis.

Coleoid cephalopods, including squid, cuttlefish, and octopus, have large and complex nervous systems and high-acuity, camera-type eyes. These traits are comparable only to features that are independently evolved in the vertebrate lineage. The size of animal nervous systems and the diversity of their constituent cell types is a result of the tight regulation of cellular proliferation and differentiation in development.

Co-option of the limb patterning program in cephalopod eye development.

Background: Across the Metazoa, similar genetic programs are found in the development of analogous, independently evolved, morphological features. The functional significance of this reuse and the underlying mechanisms of co-option remain unclear. Cephalopods have evolved a highly acute visual system with a cup-shaped retina and a novel refractive lens in the anterior, important for a number of sophisticated behaviors including predation, mating, and camouflage.