PUBLICATION

Identification of zebrafish magnetoreceptor and cryptochrome homologs

Authors
Zhou, Z., Peng, X., Chen, J., Wu, X., Wang, Y., Hong, Y.
ID
ZDB-PUB-160912-3
Date
2016
Source
Science China. Life sciences   59(12): 1324-1331 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Wu, Xiushan, Zhou, Zuoqiong
Keywords
MagR, cryptochrome, magnetoreception, ortholog
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Cryptochromes/classification
  • Cryptochromes/genetics*
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/embryology
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/metabolism
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins/classification
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins/genetics*
  • Magnetics
  • Mechanoreceptors/classification
  • Mechanoreceptors/metabolism*
  • Mechanotransduction, Cellular/genetics
  • Organogenesis/genetics
  • Phylogeny
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Time Factors
  • Zebrafish/embryology
  • Zebrafish/genetics*
  • Zebrafish/growth & development
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics*
PubMed
27614751 Full text @ Sci. China Ser. C-Life Sci.
Abstract
Magnetoreception is essential for magnetic orientation in animal migration. The molecular basis for magnetoreception has recently been elucidated in fruitfly as complexes between the magnetic receptor magnetoreceptor (MagR) and its ligand cryptochrome (Cry). MagR and Cry are present in the animal kingdom. However, it is unknown whether they perform a conserved role in diverse animals. Here we report the identification and expression of zebrafish MagR and Cry homologs towards understanding their roles in lower vertebrates. A single magr gene and 7 cry genes are present in the zebrafish genome. Zebrafish has four cry1 genes (cry1aa, cry1ab, cry1ba and cry1bb) homologous to human CRY1 and a single ortholog of human CRY2 as well as 2 cry-like genes (cry4 and cry5). By RT-PCR, magr exhibited a high level of ubiquitous RNA expression in embryos and adult organs, whereas cry genes displayed differential embryonic and adult expression. Importantly, magr depletion did not produce apparent abnormalities in organogenesis. Taken together, magr and cry2 exist as a single copy gene, whereas cry1 exists as multiple gene duplicates in zebrafish. Our result suggests that magr may play a dispensable role in organogenesis and predicts a possibility to generate magr mutants for analyzing its role in zebrafish.
Genes / Markers
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping