The Flatworm and Eye Diseases

The flatworm, animals that have a high regeneration power, turned out to have great benefit in helping to cure eye diseases in humans. Certainly not the worms that are made ​​into the eye medication, but our genes help scientists learn the sense of sight.

Scientists have examined the ability of special planaria (one type of flatworms), which can regrow body parts are broken. The study focuses on the isolation of genes involved in the formation and development of the eye.

"We believe this genome plays an important role as a model for studying the development and eye disease in humans," said Peter Reddien, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the journal Cell Report.

This microscope image show an adult planarian that had the expression of its ovo gene blocked (bottom). Over the course of approximately two months, the planarian lost its eyes, demonstrating the important of ovo for eye maintenance in the adult planarian. A planarian with normal ovo function retained its eyes (top). (Picture from: http://neurosciencenews.com/)

The entire genome sequence is now successfully translated planaria eye. This genome sequence, providing the most complete list of the genome are involved in the biology of the eye and eye modeling system. "This data is used to study gene function in rapid eye," he said.

Reddien analyzed more than 2.000 planaria eye. They found 600 genes are active and 200 of whom studied in greater detail. Several genes have the same role as the vertebrate eye.

One of the key transcription factor genes ovo, a gene that activates the expression of other genes during the formation of the eye. Ovo genes not previously associated with the formation of the eye, to the latest research to the contrary that this gene is vital for the regeneration of planaria worms eye. "We now know how genes regulate ovo formation of the eye," he said. *** [DIALY MAIL | MAHARDIKA SATRIA HADI | KORAN TEMPO 3966]

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