Cloning of zebrafish vsx1: expression of a paired-like homeobox gene during CNS development.
vsx1 is a homeobox gene encoding a paired-type homeodomain and a CVC domain that was originally cloned from an adult goldfish retinal library. We previously reported the spatiotemporal expression pattern of vsx1 in the adult and developing retina of zebrafish and goldfish, and we suggested that vsx1 plays a role in determining the cell fate and maintenance of retinal interneurons. Other related genes encoding a CVC domain, such as vsx2 (alx) and chx10, are expressed both within and outside the retina during development. In this study, we report the cloning of zebrafish vsx1 and its developmental expression in both retinal and nonretinal regions of the CNS in zebrafish embryos. vsx1 expression was detected in a subset of hindbrain and spinal cord neurons before it was expressed in the retina. At about the same time that retinal expression began, the level of vsx1 was decreased in the spinal cord. The expression of vsx1 was progressively restricted, and eventually it was detected only in the inner nuclear layer (INL) of the developing retina. The combined expression patterns of teleost vsx1 and vsx2 (alx) during early zebrafish development encompasses the expression pattern observed for murine Chx10, and indicates a partitioning of function for CVC genes in lower vertebrates.
Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, State University of New York at Stony Brook 11794, USA.nschecher@mail.psychiatry.sunysb.edu.
M A
MA
Passini
A L
AL
Kurtzman
A K
AK
Canger
W S
WS
Asch
G A
GA
Wray
P A
PA
Raymond
N
N
Schechter
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000196:embryology*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D029941:Fish Proteins; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005796:Genes; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D006054:Goldfish / Q000235:genetics; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000196:embryology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012160:Retina / Q000196:embryology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
D005136:Eye Proteins; D029941:Fish Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C108839:Vsx-2 protein, Carassius auratus; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C108838:vsx1 protein, zebrafish