Identification and characterization of homeobox (Hox) genes and conservation of the single Hox cluster (324.6 kb) in the water flea Daphnia magna.

We report the complete sequence analysis of the entire complement of eight typical homeobox (Hox) genes (Lab, Pb, Dfd, Scr, Antp, Ubx, Abd-A, and Abd-B) and two other genes (Hox3 and Ftz) in a 324.6-kb region in the water flea Daphnia magna. In the cluster of D. magna Hox genes, we found one long interspersed nuclear element (LINE)/R2-NeSL between Ubx and Abd-A that was not present in Daphnia pulex Hox genes. In basal expression of Hox genes at different developmental stages, biothorax complex genes (Ubx, Abd-A, and Abd-B) and some antennapedia complex genes (Lab, Scr, Antp) were moderately expressed, but the Hox3 gene was barely expressed. Three homeobox genes (Antp, Ubx, Abd-A) were highly expressed at 6-7 days after release from the brood chamber and/or in the adult stage. The structural array and transcribed orientation of Dm-Hox genes were identical to those of the sister species D. pulex (approximate to 340kb), indicating that the Hox gene structure in daphnids is highly conserved. However, Dm- and Dp-Hox3, -deformed (Dfd), and -fushi tarazu (Ftz) genes varied from orthologous genes in pancrustacean species.