Hedgehog is a toolkit gene conserved in metazoans. However, its function differs among taxa, and it shows versatile expression patterns in morphogenesis. We analyzed the expression pattern of hedgehog in the indirect development of the hemichordate, Ptychodera flava, during development and regeneration. Pf-Hh showed distinct enteropneust-specific expression at the anterior tip of the larvae, as well as deuterostome-conserved expression in the pharyngeal endoderm. In contrast, the gene is expressed only in the pharyngeal region during anterior regeneration, but not in the anterior tip of the proboscis. These data suggest that anterior regeneration is driven not only by conserved developmental mechanisms, but also by some regeneration-specific mechanism(s).
ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

Zoological Science
Vol. 32 • No. 1
February 2015
Vol. 32 • No. 1
February 2015
acorn worm
development
gene expression
hedgehog
hemichordate
Ptychodera flava
regeneration