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10 - When is a Hox gene not a Hox gene? The importance of gene nomenclature

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 August 2009

Giuseppe Fusco
By
David E. K. Ferrier
Edited by
Alessandro Minelli
Giuseppe Fusco
Affiliation:
Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy
Alessandro Minelli
Affiliation:
Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy
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Summary

GENE CLASSIFICATION IS AN ESSENTIAL PRECURSOR TO EVO-DEVO

A sensible classification of developmental control genes and an understanding of their phylogeny are essential to any endeavour of molecular evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) or comparative genomics, since it is crucial that the structure, expression and function of orthologous genes are being compared between taxa. This is particularly true for the homeobox genes, for which there are confusing and conflicting names and classifications that hinder our investigation and understanding of their evolution and their role in animal evo-devo (I will restrict myself here to consideration of animal homeobox genes). Since these genes are central components of most developmental processes, are important indicators of major transitions in animal genome evolution, and are often found to be targets and/or agents of the evolution of development, then we must continue to improve and coordinate our classifications of these genes as more data become available from a greater array of taxa in this age of genomics.

CONVENTIONS

Animal homeobox genes can be divided, on the basis of their sequence similarities, into two major classes (ANTP and PRD) along with several minor classes (TALE, LIM, POU, ZF, cut, prox, HNF and SIX; Bürglin 2005, Edvardsen et al. 2005, Holland and Takahashi 2005). It is in the ANTP-class that most confusion and discrepancy exists, and so I shall concentrate on this class and attempt to resolve at least some of the confusion.

Type
Chapter
Information
Evolving Pathways
Key Themes in Evolutionary Developmental Biology
 , pp. 175 - 193
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

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