PUBLICATION
Zebrafish Cx35: cloning and characterization of a gap junction gene highly expressed in the retina
- Authors
- McLachlan, E., White, T.W., Ugonabo, C., Olson, C., Nagy, J.I., and Valdimarsson, G.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-030902-7
- Date
- 2003
- Source
- Journal of neuroscience research 73(6): 753-764 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Valdimarsson, Gunnar
- Keywords
- none
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Blotting, Northern
- Blotting, Western
- Brain/metabolism
- Brain Chemistry
- Cloning, Molecular
- Connexins/genetics*
- Connexins/metabolism
- Electrophysiology
- Evolution, Molecular
- Eye Proteins/genetics*
- Eye Proteins/metabolism
- Gap Junctions/genetics*
- Gap Junctions/metabolism
- Immunohistochemistry
- Liver/metabolism
- Mice
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Oocytes
- RNA, Messenger/analysis
- Retina/cytology
- Retina/embryology
- Retina/metabolism*
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
- Time Factors
- Xenopus
- Zebrafish/genetics
- Zebrafish Proteins*
- PubMed
- 12949901 Full text @ J. Neurosci. Res.
Citation
McLachlan, E., White, T.W., Ugonabo, C., Olson, C., Nagy, J.I., and Valdimarsson, G. (2003) Zebrafish Cx35: cloning and characterization of a gap junction gene highly expressed in the retina. Journal of neuroscience research. 73(6):753-764.
Abstract
The vertebrate connexin gene family encodes protein subunits of gap junction channels, which provide a route for direct intercellular communication. Consequently, gap junctions play a vital role in many developmental and homeostatic processes. Aberrant functioning of gap junctions is implicated in many human diseases. Zebrafish are an ideal vertebrate model to study development of the visual system as they produce transparent embryos that develop rapidly, thereby facilitating morphological and behavioral testing. In this study, zebrafish connexin35 has been cloned from a P1 artificial chromosome (PAC) library. Sequence analysis shows a high degree of similarity to the Cx35/36 orthologous group, which are expressed primarily in nervous tissue, including the retina. The gene encodes a 304-amino acid protein with a predicted molecular weight of approximately 35 kDa. Injection of zebrafish Cx35 RNA into paired Xenopus oocytes elicited intercellular electrical coupling with weak voltage sensitivity. In development, Cx35 is first detectable by Northern analysis and RT-PCR, at 2 days post-fertilization (2 dpf), and in the adult it is expressed in the brain and retina. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the Cx35 protein is expressed in two sublaminae of the inner plexiform layer of the adult retina. A similar pattern was seen in the 4 and 5 dpf retina, but no labeling was detected in the retina of earlier embryos.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping