Transcription factors play an important role in development and maintenance of an organism. We focus on the genes that encode homeodomain-containing transcription factors that are expressed in the central nervous system (eg, brain and eye) using the zebrafish as a main model organism.

Among the genes that we are interested in, the Six genes (belonging to the Six class homeobox genes) and the Hlx genes (NK class; Hlx group) are currently being investigated. Main research topics include characterisation of cis-regulatory elements, elucidation of cell differentiation and proliferation mechanisms, and study of structure/function relationships.

Six genes constitute one of the most divergent groups of homeobox genes and they encode a Six-type homeodomain and 115-121 aa-long Six-domain, which locates adjacent upstream of the HD. The vertebrate Six genes are homologues of the Drosophila homeobox gene sine oculis (so), which is essential for development of the entire visual system in larvae and adult flies. They are further divided into 3 groups based on its primary structure and expression patterns. Genes belonging to the Six3 group, which are expressed in the brain and eye primordia during very early stages of embryo development, are particularly interesting for its expression patterns and involvement in feedback gene regulation.

We use both in vitro and in vivo methods in our research. These are immunohistochemistry, protein-protein/protein-nucleic acid interaction, over-/underexpression studies, knockdown approaches using morpholinos and siRNA, and various transgene techniques.

In addition we study the Hox clusters in Atlantic salmon genome by using them as “markers” for the impact of teleost-specific recent genome duplication; i.e., estimation of the genetic redundancy and comparison of sequence and functional variations in duplicated genes/regions.