Expression patterns of duplicated snail genes in the leech Helobdella
Research article published in Development genes and evolution (2017)
Abstract
snail gene family members are zinc-finger transcription factors with key roles in morphogenesis. Involvement of snail family genes in mesoderm formation has been observed in insects and mammals. The snail genes are also involved in cell motility, neural differentiation, cell fate, survival decision, and left-right identity. The functions of snail genes have been studied primarily among ecdysozoans and deuterostomes, with relatively little work carried out in lophotrochozoans. In this study, we isolated two snail homologs (Hau-snail1 and Hau-snail2) from the leech Helobdella austinensis. We characterized the temporal and spatial expression patterns of these two genes by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and in situ hybridization. The expression of Hau-snail1 and Hau-snail2 correlates with ventral nerve cord (VNC) development, segmental mesoderm, and with a ring of cells that comes to lie at the base of the leech proboscis, respectively, showing similarity to the divergent expression of duplicated snail genes in polychaetes. Our results do not support the function of lophotrochozoan snail genes in mesoderm specification.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Resumen
Expression patterns of duplicated snail genes in the leech Helobdella.
Por qué esto importa para la hirudoterapia
Este estudio aisló y caracterizó los patrones de expresión temporal y espacial de dos homólogos duplicados del gen snail (Hau-snail1 y Hau-snail2) en la sanguijuela Helobdella austinensis. Mediante RT-PCR semicuantitativa e hibridación in situ, los investigadores hallaron que estos factores de transcripción se correlacionan con el desarrollo del cordón nervioso ventral y con un anillo de células en la base de la probóscide, en lugar de con la especificación del mesodermo. Aunque esto aporta información sobre la biología evolutiva del desarrollo de los lofotrocozoos, no tiene relevancia para ASH ni para la práctica clínica. La investigación es estrictamente un estudio genético, que no aporta información sobre el uso terapéutico de las sanguijuelas ni de sus secreciones salivales.
Citación
Expression patterns of duplicated snail genes in the leech Helobdella
Kim JS et al. · Development genes and evolution, 2017
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Añadido a la biblioteca ASH: May 27, 2026 · Última actualización del sitio: 18 de junio de 2026