Molecular cloning and expression of phospholipase C epsilon 1 in zebrafish

Phospholipase C (PLC) is a key enzyme that generates inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP(3)) and diacylglycerol (DAG), two second messengers in signal transduction. Phospholipase Cepsilon (PLCE1) is a unique member of the PLC family in that it carries both RasGEF and Ras-associating (RA) domains and may serve as an activator and an effector of small GTPases. Recently, mutations in PLCE1 have been associated with early-onset nephrotic syndrome. We have identified the zebrafish ortholog of PLCE1 and characterized its expression pattern in zebrafish embryos by in situ hybridization. Zebrafish plce1 gene encodes a protein of 2248 amino acids that shares 56% identity with mammalian PLCepsilon. During zebrafish embryonic development, plce1 is expressed in a dynamic pattern in a variety of organs, such as brain, muscle, liver, and pronephric glomeruli. Our results suggest that zebrafish may be used as a model organism to address the function of PLCepsilon during the development of these organs.