Cloning and expression pattern of a zebrafish homolog of forkhead activin signal transducer (FAST), a transcription factor mediating Nodal-related signals.
Forkhead activin signal transducer (FAST) is a member of the winged-helix family of DNA-binding proteins that has been implicated in mesoderm induction and left-right axis specification during embryonic development in Xenopus and mouse. We have cloned and characterized a zebrafish FAST homolog. Zebrafish fast is expressed maternally and zygotically. Transcripts start regionalizing and decline in level during gastrulation. During somitogenesis, fast is expressed bilaterally in the lateral plate mesoderm, like its mouse homolog. In addition, zebrafish fast is also expressed bilaterally in the dorsal diencephalon, where the nodal-related cyclops gene is only expressed on the left side. It remains to be demonstrated whether FAST expression in the brain can mediate Nodal-induced asymmetric development.
Boggetti
B
B
Dipartimento di Genetica e di Biologia dei Microrganismi, Universita' degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milano, Italy.
Argenton
F
F
Haffter
P
P
Bianchi
M E
ME
Cotelli
F
F
Beltrame
M
M
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D019170:Somites / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology*
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C491117:Foxh1 protein, mouse; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors