PUBLICATION
Characterization of a zebrafish (Danio rerio) desmin cDNA: an early molecular marker of myogenesis
- Authors
- Loh, S.H., Chan, W.T., Gong, Z.Y., Lim, T.M., and Chua, K.L.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-000803-1
- Date
- 2000
- Source
- Differentiation; research in biological diversity 65(5): 247-254 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Chua, Kim-Lee, Gong, Zhiyuan, Lim, Tit-Meng, Loh, Soh Han
- Keywords
- none
- MeSH Terms
-
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Base Sequence
- Blotting, Northern
- Cloning, Molecular
- DNA Primers/chemistry
- DNA, Complementary/genetics*
- Desmin/genetics*
- Desmin/metabolism
- Embryo, Nonmammalian/cytology
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
- Genetic Markers
- Heart/physiology
- In Situ Hybridization
- Molecular Sequence Data
- MyoD Protein/metabolism
- Myogenin/metabolism
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
- Somites/cytology
- Zebrafish/embryology
- Zebrafish/genetics*
- PubMed
- 10929203 Full text @ Differentiation
Citation
Loh, S.H., Chan, W.T., Gong, Z.Y., Lim, T.M., and Chua, K.L. (2000) Characterization of a zebrafish (Danio rerio) desmin cDNA: an early molecular marker of myogenesis. Differentiation; research in biological diversity. 65(5):247-254.
Abstract
Desmin is a muscle-specific protein and a constitutive subunit of the intermediate filaments (IF) in skeletal, cardiac and smooth muscles. It is an early marker of skeletal muscle myogenesis. We have characterized a clone of desmin cDNA from an embryonic zebrafish (Danio rerio) cDNA library. The full-length cDNA comprised 1798 nucleotides, encoding a protein of 473 amino acids. The predicted amino acid sequence of the zebrafish desmin shares a high degree of similarity to other vertebrate desmins, but also contains a sequence at the carboxyl terminal of the tail domain that is unique to the zebrafish. It carries many features which are distinctive of IF subunit proteins. These include the T/SSYRRXF/Y motif in the head domain, and the intermediate filament signature consensus, [I/V]-X-[T/A/C/I]-Y-[R/K/H]-X-[L/M]-L-[D/E], located in the carboxyl terminus of the central helical rod. Unlike other 3' UTR sequences, the 3' UTR of the zebrafish cDNA sequence has two CAYUG elements flanking a single polyadenylation site. The temporal and spatial expression patterns of desmin mRNA during early zebrafish development were studied. The onset of desmin expression occurred at the 1-3 somite stage (11 hpf). It increased throughout somitogenesis, with maximum expression at the Prim-6 stage (25 hpf), and decreasing expression towards the protruding-mouth stage (72 hpf). Desmin mRNA was initially localised exclusively to the somites, but was subsequently also detected in other musculature in the developing heart and fins. The onset of expression and the spatial localization of desmin mRNA in the zebrafish coincides with that reported for MyoD and myogenin.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping