PUBLICATION

Expression of three zebrafish orthologs of human FMR1-related genes and their phylogenetic relationships

Authors
Tucker, B., Richards, R., and Lardelli, M.
ID
ZDB-PUB-040923-2
Date
2004
Source
Development genes and evolution   214(11): 567-574 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Lardelli, Michael, Tucker, Ben
Keywords
Danio rerio, fmr1, fxr1, fxr2
MeSH Terms
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Databases, Genetic
  • Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein
  • Humans
  • In Situ Hybridization
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Multigene Family*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics*
  • Organ Specificity
  • RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Zebrafish/embryology
  • Zebrafish/genetics*
PubMed
15378363 Full text @ Dev. Genes Evol.
Abstract
The human fragile X mental retardation syndrome is caused by expansions of a CGG repeat in the FMR1 gene. FXR1 and FXR2 are autosomal paralogs of FMR1. The products of the three genes, FMRP, FXR1P, and FXR2P, respectively, belong to a family of RNA-binding proteins. While the FMR1-related gene family is well described in human, mouse and Drosophila, little is known about zebrafish ( Danio rerio) orthologs of these genes. Here we collate the known FMR1-related gene sequences from zebrafish, examine their regions of structural conservation, and define their orthologies with the human genes. We demonstrate that zebrafish possess only three FMR1-related genes, fmr1, fxr1 and fxr2, and these are orthologous to the human FMR1, FXR1 and FXR2 genes respectively. We examine the spatiotemporal pattern of transcription of the zebrafish genes from 0 hours post fertilisation (hpf) until 24 hpf. Expression of fmr1, fxr1 and fxr2 is widespread throughout this time. However, relative to surrounding tissues, expression of fxr2 is raised in adaxial and somitic cells by 12 hpf while fxr1 expression is high in the anterior of the embryo, and is raised in adaxial cells by 12 hpf. Distinct patterns (and levels) of expression are seen for the different genes later in development. At 24 hpf, fxr1 and fxr2 transcripts show complex distribution patterns in somites. The expression of the FMR1-related gene family in zebrafish tissues is broadly consistent with expression in mouse and human, supporting the idea that zebrafish should be an excellent model organism in which to study the functions of the vertebrate FMR1-related gene family.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping