Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 10, 2025
Reliable Isolation of Central Nervous System Microvessels Across Five Vertebrate Groups
Published on: January 12, 2020
Isolation and initial characterization of a vasa homolog in Cynops cyanurus
Yinjiao Zhao1, Pingfan Wei2, Dan Wang1
1School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650091, China; State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and Center for Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650091, China.
Abstract:
The vasa mRNA encodes a putative RNA helicase that belongs to the DEAD-box protein family. Vasa protein is a conserved germ cell marker ranging from fruit fly to human. In this study, we cloned the full-length vasa cDNA from the ovary of newt Cynops cyanurus and examined its expression in embryos and adult tissues. The predictive C. cyanurus Vasa protein sequence shares eight conserved regions with Vasa proteins from other vertebrates. The C. cyanurus vasa mRNA expression is restricted to testis and ovary. During oogenesis, vasa mRNA shows highest expression in the early stages of oocytes. However, it rapidly down-regulates during embryogenesis. These findings suggest that Vasa may be involved in early germ cell specification/initiation in C. cyanurus.
