Abstract
BackgroundThe Sox gene family of transcriptional regulators have essential roles during development and have been extensively studied in vertebrates. The mouse, human and fugu genomes contain at least 20 Sox genes, which are subdivided into groups based on sequence similarity of the highly conserved HMG domain. In the well-studied insect Drosophila melanogaster, eight Sox genes have been identified and are involved in processes such as neurogenesis, dorsal-ventral patterning and segmentation.ResultsWe examined the available genome sequences of Apis mellifera, Nasonia vitripennis, Tribolium castaneum, Anopheles gambiae and identified Sox family members which were classified by phylogenetics using the HMG domains. Using in situ hybridisation we determined the expression patterns of eight honeybee Sox genes in honeybee embryo, adult brain and queen ovary. AmSoxB group genes were expressed in the nervous system, brain and Malphigian tubules. The restricted localization of AmSox21b and AmSoxB1 mRNAs within the oocyte, suggested a role in, or that they are regulated by, dorsal-ventral patterning. AmSoxC, D and F were expressed ubiquitously in late embryos and in the follicle cells of the queen ovary. Expression of AmSoxF and two AmSoxE genes was detected in the drone testis.ConclusionInsect genomes contain between eight and nine Sox genes, with at least four members belonging to Sox group B and other Sox subgroups each being represented by a single Sox gene. Hymenopteran insects have an additional SoxE gene, which may have arisen by gene duplication. Expression analyses of honeybee SoxB genes implies that this group of genes may be able to rapidly evolve new functions and expression domains, while the combined expression pattern of all the SoxB genes is maintained.
Highlights
The Sox gene family of transcriptional regulators have essential roles during development and have been extensively studied in vertebrates
As this class of Sox genes is found in diploblasts and all other metazoans, this must represent loss of this gene from the lineage leading to Strongylocentrus
SOX groups B-F are found in the Nematostella, ctenophore and sponge genomes [7,8], indicating that the major groups of Sox genes predate the emergence of triploblastic animals
Summary
The Sox gene family of transcriptional regulators have essential roles during development and have been extensively studied in vertebrates. The mouse, human and fugu genomes contain at least 20 Sox genes, which are subdivided into groups based on sequence similarity of the highly conserved HMG domain. The SOX gene family is a group of related transcription factors that play critical roles in embryonic development. This family was originally identified in mammals based on sequence similarity to SRY, the sex-determining region Y chromosome [1]. Phylogenetic studies have determined that SOX family members segregate into ten groups (named A-J) on the basis of sequence similarities within the HMG box [3,4,5], with many groups containing multiple members from the same organism with related gene function. Mutations in Sox genes have been shown to be the underlying cause of a number of human disorders and Sox genes are expressed during cancer progression [12,15,16,17,18]
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