title: Expression of c-ret in the zebrafish embryo: potential roles in motoneuronal development.
abstract: We have isolated and characterized the zebrafish ortholog of c-ret, a gene essential for renal organogenesis and enteric nervous system development in mammals. During zebrafish embryogenesis c-ret transcripts are expressed in a number of tissues including spinal motoneurons, pronephric ducts, cranial ganglia, pharyngeal arches, and the enteric nervous system. We have examined in detail the expression of c-ret during the development of identified spinal primary motoneurons. c-ret expression is regulated in a cell type-specific manner among the three primary motoneurons. c-ret is expressed at its highest levels in caudal primary (CaP) motoneurons and transcripts can be detected shortly before the expression of the CaP-specific gene, islet2. We suggest that c-ret may play a role in specifying CaP cell identity. c-ret is expressed at low levels in the other primary motoneurons and also in a subset of secondary motoneurons, suggesting that it may also play a broader role in motoneuronal survival or maintenance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84112, USA.
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Bisgrove
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Raible
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Eisen
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Grunwald
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D001934:Branchial Region / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D004247:DNA / Q000302:isolation & purification; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology; D017615:Enteric Nervous System / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D012313:RNA / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D015027:Zebrafish; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C416649:Ret protein, Drosophila; C546313:Ret protein, zebrafish