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Origins of bilateral symmetry: Hox and Dpp expression in a sea anemone
Finnerty, J.R.; Pang, K.; Burton, P.; Paulson, D.; Martindale, M.Q. (2004). Origins of bilateral symmetry: Hox and Dpp expression in a sea anemone. Science (Wash.) 304(5672): 10.1126/science.1091946. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1091946
In: Science (Washington). American Association for the Advancement of Science: New York, N.Y. ISSN 0036-8075; e-ISSN 1095-9203, more
Peer reviewed article  

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Keyword
    Marine/Coastal

Authors  Top 
  • Finnerty, J.R.
  • Pang, K.
  • Burton, P.
  • Paulson, D.
  • Martindale, M.Q.

Abstract
    Over 99% of modern animals are members of the evolutionary lineage Bilateria. The evolutionary success of Bilateria is credited partly to the origin of bilateral symmetry. Although animals of the phylum Cnidaria are not within the Bilateria, some representatives, such as the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, exhibit bilateral symmetry. We show that Nematostella uses homologous genes to achieve bilateral symmetry: Multiple Hox genes are expressed in a staggered fashion along its primary body axis, and the transforming growth factor-beta gene decapentaplegic (dpp) is expressed in an asymmetric fashion about its secondary body axis. These data suggest that bilateral symmetry arose before the evolutionary split of Cnidaria and Bilateria.

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