Question

The vertebrate pax-6 gene product (the pax-6 protein) triggers a complex program of gene expression resulting in formation of the vertebrate eye, which has a single lens. the fly pax-6 gene leads to formation of the compound fly eye. when scientists cloned a mouse pax-6 gene and introduced it into a fly embryo, it led to formation of the compound eye of a fly. what did scientists induce from this? the vertebrate pax-6 gene product (the pax-6 protein) triggers a complex program of gene expression resulting in formation of the vertebrate eye, which has a single lens. the fly pax-6 gene leads to formation of the compound fly eye. when scientists cloned a mouse pax-6 gene and introduced it into a fly embryo, it led to formation of the compound eye of a fly. what did scientists induce from this?

Answer 1

The PAX-6 gene is a gene that translates to the PAX-6 protein that serves as a transcription factor needed to activate certain genes that functions in the development of the eyes. While PAX-6 gene may look like it produces different functions for different species (such as formation of the compound eye in insects vs. formation of a single lens eye in vertebrates), it does not. It does in fact only regulate the genes required for the formation of the eyes. Absence or mutation of the PAX-6 gene will cause aniridia or absence of the iris, opaque lens and cornea, and a dysfunctional retina. Also, the function of the PAX-6 protein is conserved throughout evolution of species.