Meeting Abstract

P3.56  Thursday, Jan. 6  Isolation and characterization of the expression patterns of FoxG in the embryos and larvae of the articulate brachiopod, Terebratalia transversa . RESH, C.A.*; PASSAMANECK, Y.; MARTINDALE, M.Q.; SANTAGATA, S.; Long Island University; University of Hawaii; University of Hawaii; Long Island University carlee.resh@gmail.com

The Fox gene family has a wide range of functions and key roles in early developmental processes, including axis patterning and tissue differentiation. FoxG, previously referred to as Brain Factor-1, is involved in patterning the anterior larval and adult neuronal structures in invertebrate bilaterians, and the developing telencephalon in vertebrates. We characterized the expression of FoxG in the embryos and late larval stages of the articulate brachiopod, Terebratalia transversa, and compared these patterns with expression of orthologous genes found in other metazoans. FoxG is first expressed in the early gastrula stage as two bilaterally symmetrical spots comprised of 4-7 cells at the animal pole of the embryo. The number of cells expressing FoxG increases throughout gastrulation, and by the late gastrula stage expression is found in two ventral ectodermal stripes that border the developing apical ganglion. By the early larval stage, these ectodermal stripes join with expression zones within the transverse ciliated band at the edge of the apical lobe of the larva. During subsequent larval development, cells within the anterior ciliated band stop expressing FoxG, but a subset of neurons in the apical ganglion do express this gene. Collectively, these data and expression patterns found in other metazoans suggest a conserved role for FoxG in the proliferation and differentiation of anterior neuronal cells and other ciliated cell types.