ABSTRACT
References .......................................................................................................... 23
Homeoproteins are transcription factors involved in several biologic processes,
primarily during development. They were first discovered in Drosophila, and later
in all metazoans and plants. They bind DNA through a 60 amino acid-long
sequence, the homeodomain. This homeodomain is highly conserved across
homeoproteins and species, and is composed of three a-helices, the third helix being more particularly dedicated to the recognition of the DNA target site.1 In
addition to their role in pattern formation during development, homeoproteins can
act later to refine or maintain neuronal connections, both in invertebrates and
vertebrates. Indeed, mutations in homeogenes lead to modifications in axon
pathfinding2-4 and synapse formation.5-7 This suggests that homeoproteins
probably help to define the important plasticity that characterizes the vertebrate
nervous system.
