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Identification of c-fos related genes and their induction by neural activation in rainbow trout brain
I Matsuoka1, K Fuyuki, T Shoji
1Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. matsuoka@pharm.hokudai.ac.jp
Abstract:
A number of studies have shown that the induction of c-fos gene is an indicator of the responses of cells and tissues to the environmental stimuli. In the present study, using RT-PCR-based strategy, we isolated, from the brain of the rainbow trout, two partial cDNA clones (RT-fos1 and RT-fos2) that code proteins homologous to c-Fos proteins of higher vertebrates. Sequence analysis of the two clones indicated that the two rainbow trout clones are very similar to each other over the entire cloned region (88% amino acid identity) and showed moderate similarity to c-Fos proteins of higher vertebrates (40% amino acid identity with human c-Fos). Two functionally important domains (i.e. the leucine zipper and zinc finger) are highly conserved among all the vertebrate species analyzed, although the region between the two domains was highly variable between different species. Intraperitoneal administration of kainic acid, a stable agonist of glutamate receptors, transiently induced the mRNAs for both RT-fos1 and RT-fos2 in the rainbow trout brain. These results indicate that the expression pattern of the two clones can be utilized as a suitable anatomical marker for the increased neural activities in salmonid fish brain to investigate the higher order behavior such as the learning and imprinting of odors of the home river.
Insights
Researchers identified two new c-Fos related genes in rainbow trout brains. These genes are activated by stimuli, serving as markers for neural activity in fish, aiding studies on behavior like learning.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- The c-fos gene is a known indicator of cellular and tissue responses to environmental stimuli.
- Understanding neural activity markers in fish is crucial for behavioral studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and characterize c-Fos homologs in rainbow trout brain.
- To investigate the expression patterns of these homologs in response to neural stimulation.
Main Methods:
- RT-PCR-based strategy for cDNA clone isolation.
- Sequence analysis to determine protein homology and domain conservation.
- Kainic acid administration to induce gene expression.
Main Results:
- Two partial cDNA clones, RT-fos1 and RT-fos2, homologous to c-Fos were isolated from rainbow trout brain.
- These clones showed high similarity to each other and moderate similarity to human c-Fos, with conserved functional domains.
- Kainic acid administration transiently induced mRNA expression for both RT-fos1 and RT-fos2.
Conclusions:
- RT-fos1 and RT-fos2 are functional c-Fos homologs in rainbow trout.
- Their expression can serve as anatomical markers for neural activity in salmonid fish.
- These markers can be used to study higher-order behaviors such as learning and imprinting.