title: The zebrafish Pax3 and Pax7 homologues are highly conserved, encode multiple isoforms and show dynamic segment-like expression in the developing brain.
abstract: This study describes the isolation and characterization of zebrafish homologues of the mammalian Pax3 and Pax7 genes. The proteins encoded by both zebrafish genes are highly conserved (>83%) relative to the known mammalian sequences. Also the neural expression patterns during embryogenesis are very similar to the murine homologues. However, observed differences in neural crest and mesodermal expression relative to mammals could reflect some functional divergence in the development of these tissues. For the zebrafish Pax7 protein we report the first full-length amino acid sequences in vertebrates and show the existence of three additional isoforms which have truncations in the homeodomain and/or the C-terminal region. These novel variants provide evidence for additional isoform diversity of vertebrate Pax proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: B O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Saetre
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Håvik
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ellingsen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fjose
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology*; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008322:Mammals; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D000072041:PAX3 Transcription Factor; D051763:PAX7 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D019170:Somites / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D014157:Transcription Factors; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics*; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000072041:PAX3 Transcription Factor; D051763:PAX7 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C489412:pax3a protein, zebrafish; C068686:Pax3 protein, mouse