Dach1 regulates neural crest migration during embryonic development

Dachshund 1(Dach1) is a key component of the retinal determination gene network that plays significant roles in cell fate regulation. The vertebrate homolog of Drosophila dachshund has gained considerable importance as an essential regulator of development, but its functions during embryonic development remain elusive. We investigated the functional significance of dach1 during Xenopus embryogenesis using loss-of-function studies. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction demonstrated the maternal nature of dach1, showing enhanced expression at the neurula stage of development, and morpholino oligonucleotide injection of dach1 induced phenotypic anomalies of microcephaly and reduced body length. Animal cap assays followed by whole-mount in-situ hybridization indicated the perturbed expression of neural and neural crest (NC) markers. Our data suggest the prerequisite functions of dach1 in NC migration during Xenopus embryogenesis. However, the developmental pathways regulated by dach1 during embryogenesis require further elucidation.