PUBLICATION

The vasa locus in zebrafish: multiple RGG boxes from intragenic duplications

Authors
Bartfai, R. and Orbán, L.
ID
ZDB-PUB-030131-1
Date
2003
Source
DNA and cell biology   22(1): 47-54 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Bartfai, Richard, Orban, Laszlo
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Binding Sites
  • Chromosome Mapping
  • DEAD-box RNA Helicases
  • Gene Duplication*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Protein Isoforms/genetics
  • RNA/metabolism
  • RNA Helicases/genetics*
  • RNA Helicases/metabolism
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Sequence Analysis, RNA
  • Zebrafish/genetics*
  • Zebrafish Proteins
PubMed
12590737 Full text @ DNA Cell Biol.
Abstract
Vasa is the most extensively characterized germ cell-specific marker in metazoans. We determined the sequence of the zebrafish vasa locus, which - together with the flanking regions - is 25 kb long. It contains 26 + 1 exons, with an average length of 83 bp. The 5' end of zebrafish vasa is rich in repeats; it includes a peculiar tandem repeat with three units spanning a total of eight exons, each unit containing several tandemly arranged RNA-binding motifs (RGG boxes). The presence of various, nonmicrosatellite type repeats in vasa seems to be universal among the species studied, and could have functional importance during the evolution of the gene, due to the increase in the number of RGG boxes located in these repeats. Analysis of vasa transcripts in zebrafish identified numerous isoforms resulting from alternative splicing (seven) and polyadenylation (four). Mapping to two radiation hybrid panels strengthened the position of the gene on LG10 of zebrafish.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping