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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Blastomere Explants to Test for Cell Fate Commitment During Embryonic Development

Blastomere Explants to Test for Cell Fate Commitment During Embryonic Development

Published on: January 26, 2013

Distinct expression patterns for two Xenopus Bar homeobox genes.

K D Patterson¹, O Cleaver, W V Gerber

¹Division of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.

Development Genes and Evolution

|February 17, 2001

Summary

Two Xenopus homeobox genes, XBH1 and XBH2, are expressed in the developing nervous system and retina. XBH1 is involved in retinal ganglion cell differentiation, showing its crucial role in vertebrate eye development.

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Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Genetics
Neuroscience

Background:

BarH1 and BarH2 homeobox genes are coexpressed in Drosophila melanogaster nervous systems and retinas, regulating eye and sensory organ development.
Vertebrate homologs of Bar genes are crucial for embryonic development.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify and characterize vertebrate Bar-related homeobox genes in Xenopus.
To investigate the expression patterns of XBH1 and XBH2 during early Xenopus embryogenesis.
To determine the role of XBH1 in retinal development.

Main Methods:

Identification and cloning of Xenopus Bar-related homeobox genes (XBH1 and XBH2).
Whole-mount in situ hybridization to analyze gene expression patterns in Xenopus embryos.
Comparison of XBH1 expression with hermes, a marker for retinal ganglion cells.

Main Results:

Two distinct Xenopus Bar-related homeobox genes, XBH1 and XBH2, were identified.
XBH1 and XBH2 exhibit overlapping expression in the central nervous system during early embryogenesis.
XBH1 is expressed in the developing retina and specifically in differentiating retinal ganglion cells, but is downregulated upon terminal differentiation.

Conclusions:

Xenopus XBH1 and XBH2 are vertebrate homologs of Drosophila Bar genes, involved in nervous system development.
XBH1 plays a role in the differentiation of retinal ganglion cells, highlighting its importance in vertebrate eye development.