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A zebrafish engrailed-like homeobox sequence expressed during embryogenesis.
A Fjose1, H G Eiken, P R Njølstad
1Laboratory for Biotechnology, University of Bergen, Norway.
FEBS Letters
|April 25, 1988
Summary
Zebrafish possess an engrailed gene (ZF-EN) closely related to mouse En-2. This gene shares high sequence identity and similar expression patterns, suggesting conserved functions in development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Genomics
- Comparative Genetics
Background:
- The engrailed gene family plays crucial roles in animal development.
- Homologs of developmental genes are essential for understanding evolutionary relationships and conserved biological mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize zebrafish homologs of the Drosophila engrailed gene.
- To investigate the evolutionary conservation of engrailed genes between zebrafish and mammals.
Main Methods:
- Screening a zebrafish genomic library using Drosophila engrailed gene probes.
- DNA sequencing and sequence homology analysis.
- Comparison of transcript sizes and expression patterns.
Main Results:
- Two zebrafish sequences cross-hybridized with the Drosophila engrailed gene.
- A specific region, ZF-EN, showed 70% sequence identity with the engrailed homeobox.
- ZF-EN exhibited over 90% homology to murine En genes, particularly En-2.
- ZF-EN and En-2 displayed nearly identical C-terminal domains and similar transcript sizes and expression patterns.
Conclusions:
- Zebrafish possess an engrailed gene (ZF-EN) with significant homology to mammalian En genes, especially En-2.
- The high sequence and expression pattern similarity suggest conserved developmental functions between zebrafish ZF-EN and murine En-2.