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First published online September 30, 2004

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Parallel routes to ear development

The vertebrate inner ear develops from the otic placode, an ectodermal thickening that forms next to the developing hindbrain. Now, Hans and colleagues report that the paired box transcription factors Pax2a and Pax8 function synergistically in zebrafish otic specification (see p. 5091). They show that zebrafish embryos in which Pax8 is depleted using morpholinos have mild ear defects similar to those seen in pax2a^- mutants but that ear development is blocked in Pax8-depleted pax2a^- mutants. Other experiments reveal that expression of pax8 and pax2a is regulated by the transcription factors Foxi1 and Dlx3b, respectively, and indicate that Pax2a and Pax8 are the main downstream effectors of the Fgf signals that induce otic specification. The researchers propose that the Foxi1-Pax8 pathway jump starts otic specification, which is then maintained by the Dlx3b-Pax2a pathway. Similar parallel pathways may act in otic specification in other vertebrates.

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Related articles in Development:

Pax8 and Pax2a function synergistically in otic specification, downstream of the Foxi1 and Dlx3b transcription factors

Stefan Hans, Dong Liu, and Monte Westerfield
Development 2004 131: 5091-5102. [Abstract] [Full Text]  

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in Development Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?