Eye development and developmental expression of crystallin genes in the long arm octopus, Octopus minor

The eye of a cephalopod is well-known example convergent evolution and resembles the vertebrate eye. Although cephalopods vertebrates exhibit similar form function, they differ in visual origin structure. common long-arm octopus ( Octopus minor ) good model system evolutionary developmental studies due to its highly centralized nervous system, shorter life cycle, specific camera-type eyes that contribute convergence with Lens-containing represent significant improvement simple have evolved by mechanisms, variety lenses corneas containing diverse crystallin. diversity taxon-specificity lens crystallin indicative roles. Previous focused on morphological, ontogenetic phylogenetic analysis understand lens-containing eyes. However, little known about functional taxon-specific genes at molecular level O. . Using an embryonic staging as we investigated fifteen genomes structure immunohistochemistry, phalloidin staining three-dimensional structures. We also obtained crystallin-related i e ., α-, S-, Ω-crystallin) from transcriptome data Subsequent based these revealed distinct divergence pattern among three gene classes further suggested evidence supporting trend. analyzed expression via situ hybridization during stages. All are commonly expressed lentigenic cells ciliary body. α-crystallin found was peripheral region including body, suggesting possible role formation cephalopods. This study will provide information development support typical models demonstrating independent recruitment different types proteins fulfill their unique role.