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Molecular and Cellular Biology, July 2001, p. 4391-4398, Vol. 21, No. 13
0270-7306/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/MCB.21.13.4391-4398.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Nkx2.5 and Nkx2.6, Homologs of
Drosophila tinman, Are Required for Development of the
Pharynx
Makoto
Tanaka,
Martina
Schinke,
Hai-Sun
Liao,
Naohito
Yamasaki, and
Seigo
Izumo*
Cardiovascular Division, Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center, and Department of Medicine, Harvard
Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
Received 22 January 2001/Returned for modification 1 March
2001/Accepted 23 March 2001
Nkx2.5 and Nkx2.6 are murine homologs of Drosophila
tinman. Their genes are expressed in the ventral region of the pharynx at early stages of embryogenesis. However, no abnormalities in the
pharynges of embryos with mutations in either Nkx2.5 or Nkx2.6 have
been reported. To examine the function of Nkx2.5 and Nkx2.6 in the
formation of the pharynx, we generated and analyzed Nkx2.5 and Nkx2.6
double-mutant mice. Interestingly, in the double-mutant embryos, the
pharynx did not form properly. Pharyngeal endodermal cells were largely
missing, and the mutant pharynx was markedly dilated. Moreover, we
observed enhanced apoptosis and reduced proliferation in pharyngeal
endodermal cells of the double-mutant embryos. These results
demonstrated a critical role of the NK-2 homeobox genes in the
differentiation, proliferation, and survival of pharyngeal endodermal
cells. Furthermore, the development of the atrium was less advanced in
the double-mutant embryos, indicating that these two genes are
essential for both pharyngeal and cardiac development.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: SL-201, Beth
Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215. Phone: (617) 667-4858. Fax: (617) 975-5268. E-mail:
sizumo{at}caregroup.harvard.edu.

Present address: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Graduate School
of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507,
Japan.
Molecular and Cellular Biology, July 2001, p. 4391-4398, Vol. 21, No. 13
0270-7306/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/MCB.21.13.4391-4398.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
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