Genomic cloning, chromosomal mapping, and expression analysis of msal-2.
Mutations of SALL1 related to spalt of Drosophila have been found to cause Townes-Brocks syndrome, suggesting a function of SALL1 for the development of anus, limbs, ears, and kidneys. No function is yet known for SALL2, another human spalt-like gene. The structure of SALL2 is different from SALL1 and all other vertebrate spalt-like genes described in mouse, Xenopus, and Medaka, suggesting that SALL2-like genes might also exist in other vertebrates. Consistent with this hypothesis, we isolated and characterized a SALL2 homologous mouse gene, Msal-2. In contrast to other vertebrate spalt-like genes both SALL2 and Msal-2 encode only three double zinc finger domains, the most carboxyterminal of which only distantly resembles spalt-like zinc fingers. The evolutionary conservation of SALL2/Msal-2 suggests that two lines of sal-like genes with presumably different functions arose from an early evolutionary duplication of a common ancestor gene. Msal-2 is expressed throughout embryonic development but also in adult tissues, predominantly in brain. However, the function of SALL2/Msal-2 still needs to be determined.
Kohlhase
J
J
Institut für Humangenetik der Universität Göttingen, Heinrich-Düker-Weg 12, D-37073 Göttingen, Germany. jkohla@gwdg.de
Altmann
M
M
Archangelo
L
L
Dixkens
C
C
Engel
W
W
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015723:Gene Library; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics*
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C403266:Sall2 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA