Dataset Information

Dystrobrevin and dystrophin family gene expression in zebrafish.

ABSTRACT: Dystrophin/dystrobrevin superfamily proteins play structural and signalling roles at the plasma membrane of many cell types. Defects in them or the associated multiprotein complex cause a range of neuromuscular disorders. Members of the dystrophin branch of the family form heterodimers with members of the dystrobrevin branch, mediated by their coiled-coil domains. To determine which combinations of these proteins might interact during embryonic development, we set out to characterise the gene expression pattern of dystrophin and dystrobrevin family members in zebrafish. gamma-dystrobrevin (dtng), a novel dystrobrevin recently identified in fish, is the predominant form of dystrobrevin in embryonic development. Dtng and dmd (dystrophin) have similar spatial and temporal expression patterns in muscle, where transcripts are localized to the ends of differentiated fibres at the somite borders. Dtng is expressed in the notochord while dmd is expressed in the chordo-neural hinge and then in floor plate and hypochord. In addition, dtng is dynamically expressed in rhombomeres 2 and 4-6 of the hindbrain and in the ventral midbrain. alpha-dystrobrevin (dtna) is expressed widely in the brain with particularly strong expression in the hypothalamus and the telencephalon; drp2 is also expressed widely in the brain. Utrophin expression is found in early pronephros and lateral line development and utrophin and dystrophin are both expressed later in the gut. beta-dystrobrevin (dtnb) is expressed in the pronephric duct and widely at low levels. In summary, we find clear instances of co-expression of dystrophin and dystrobrevin family members in muscle, brain and pronephric duct development and many examples of strong and specific expression of members of one family but not the other, an intriguing finding given the presumed heterodimeric state of these molecules.

SUBMITTER: Bohm S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3360968 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Dystrobrevin and dystrophin family gene expression in zebrafish.

Böhm Sabrina S Jin Hong H Hughes Simon M SM Roberts Roland G RG Hinits Yaniv Y

Gene expression patterns : GEP 20071024 2

Dystrophin/dystrobrevin superfamily proteins play structural and signalling roles at the plasma membrane of many cell types. Defects in them or the associated multiprotein complex cause a range of neuromuscular disorders. Members of the dystrophin branch of the family form heterodimers with members of the dystrobrevin branch, mediated by their coiled-coil domains. To determine which combinations of these proteins might interact during embryonic development, we set out to characterise the gene ex ...[more]

PMID: 18042440

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundDystrophins and dystrobrevins are distantly related proteins with important but poorly understood roles in the function of metazoan muscular and neuronal tissues. Defects in them and their associated proteins cause a range of neuromuscular disorders. Members of this superfamily have been discovered in a relatively serendipitous way; we set out to compile a comprehensive description of dystrophin- and dystrobrevin-related sequences from available metazoan genome sequences, validated in representative organisms by RT-PCR, or acquired de novo from key species.ResultsFeatures of the superfamily revealed by our survey include: a) Dystrotelin, an entirely novel branch of the superfamily, present in most vertebrates examined. Dystrotelin is expressed in the central nervous system, and is a possible orthologue of Drosophila DAH. We describe the preliminary characterisation of its function, evolution and expression. b) A novel vertebrate member of the dystrobrevin family, gamma-dystrobrevin, an ancient branch now extant only in fish, but probably present in our own ancestors. Like dystrophin, zebrafish gamma-dystrobrevin mRNA is localised to myosepta. c) The extent of conservation of alternative splicing and alternative promoter use in the dystrophin and dystrobrevin genes; alternative splicing of dystrophin exons 73 and 78 and alpha-dystrobrevin exon 13 are conserved across vertebrates, as are the use of the Dp116, Dp71 and G-utrophin promoters; the Dp260 and Dp140 promoters are tetrapod innovations. d) The evolution of the unique N-terminus of DRP2 and its relationship to Dp116 and G-utrophin. e) A C-terminally truncated common ancestor of dystrophin and utrophin in cyclostomes. f) A severely restricted repertoire of dystrophin complex components in ascidians.ConclusionWe have refined our understanding of the evolutionary history and isoform diversity of the five previously reported vertebrate superfamily members and describe two novel members, dystrotelin and gamma-dystrobrevin. Dystrotelins, dystrophins and dystrobrevins are roughly equally related to each other. Vertebrates therefore have a repertoire of seven superfamily members (three dystrophins, three dystrobevins, and one dystrotelin), with one lost in tetrapods. Most invertebrates studied have one member from each branch. Although the basic shared function which is implied by the common architecture of these distantly related proteins remains unclear, it clearly permeates metazoan biology.

Project description:BACKGROUND: Progranulin is an epithelial tissue growth factor (also known as proepithelin, acrogranin and PC-cell-derived growth factor) that has been implicated in development, wound healing and in the progression of many cancers. The single mammalian progranulin gene encodes a glycoprotein precursor consisting of seven and one half tandemly repeated non-identical copies of the cystine-rich granulin motif. A genome-wide duplication event hypothesized to have occurred at the base of the teleost radiation predicts that mammalian progranulin may be represented by two co-orthologues in zebrafish. RESULTS: The cDNAs encoding two zebrafish granulin precursors, progranulins-A and -B, were characterized and found to contain 10 and 9 copies of the granulin motif respectively. The cDNAs and genes encoding the two forms of granulin, progranulins-1 and -2, were also cloned and sequenced. Both latter peptides were found to be encoded by precursors with a simplified architecture consisting of one and one half copies of the granulin motif. A cDNA encoding a chimeric progranulin which likely arises through the mechanism of trans-splicing between grn1 and grn2 was also characterized. A non-coding RNA gene with antisense complementarity to both grn1 and grn2 was identified which may have functional implications with respect to gene dosage, as well as in restricting the formation of the chimeric form of progranulin. Chromosomal localization of the four progranulin (grn) genes reveals syntenic conservation for grna only, suggesting that it is the true orthologue of mammalian grn. RT-PCR and whole-mount in situ hybridization analysis of zebrafish grns during development reveals that combined expression of grna and grnb, but not grn1 and grn2, recapitulate many of the expression patterns observed for the murine counterpart. This includes maternal deposition, widespread central nervous system distribution and specific localization within the epithelial compartments of various organs. CONCLUSION: In support of the duplication-degeneration-complementation model of duplicate gene retention, partitioning of expression between grna and grnb was observed in the intermediate cell mass and yolk syncytial layer, respectively. Taken together these expression patterns suggest that the function of an ancestral grn gene has been devolved upon four paralogues in zebrafish.

Dataset Information

Dystrobrevin and dystrophin family gene expression in zebrafish.

Publications

Dystrobrevin and dystrophin family gene expression in zebrafish.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets