淡水涡虫眼点形态发生相关基因研究进展

Review on the genes involved in eyes morphogenesis in freshwater planarian

涡虫是动物界最早出现两侧对称、三胚层、营自由爬行生活的动物类群,在动物系统演化中占有重要地位。由于涡虫眼点结构简单,再生能力极强,因此成为研究视觉系统形成、进化及再生的理想模型。我们以日本三角涡虫(Dugesia japonica)为例,对淡水涡虫眼点的结构、形态发生过程及眼点再生相关基因进行概述,重点介绍眼点形态发生过程中与眼点前体细胞分化、视神经纤维生长、视觉系统功能恢复及眼点视杯形成相关基因的表达模式及功能分析,并对目前存在的问题及未来的发展进行总结和展望。为探索高等动物包括人类的视觉系统的形成机制提供参考。

Planarians are the earliest free-living platyhelminthes with triploblast and bilateral-symmetry and are the important animal group from water-inhabitation to land. They play an important role in studying the systematic evolution of animals. More importantly, planarians are the invertebrate model for the formation of the visual system, regeneration, evolution and development due to their simple eyes and powerful regenerative ability. In this paper, we summarize the genes involved in the regeneration of eyes of the planarian Dugesia japonica and their expression patterns and functional analysis during the differentiation of the eye precursor cells, optic nerve fiber growth, functional recovery of the visual system and the optic cup formation. We discusse some important questions which remain unclear in the eye regeneration and gave the prospects. Our provide some clues to the research on visual system of the higher animals.