Molecular cloning and developmental expression of zinc finger transcription factor MTF-1 gene in zebrafish, Danio rerio.
Metal-responsive transcription factor, MTF-1 is a zinc finger protein, shown to be essential for embryonic development. Homozygous knockout mouse embryos for MTF-1 die in utero at day 14 of gestation, due to liver decay. In the present study, we report the complete nucleotide sequence of cDNA encoding zebrafish MTF-1 and the amino acid sequence similarity with that of mouse, human, fish and Drosophila. The size of the zebrafish MTF-1 cDNA is 3,379 bp and the coding region (1,779 bp) encodes a polypeptide of 593 amino acids. The putative zinc finger and transactivation domains comprised by zebrafish MTF-1 were also determined. The zebrafish MTF-1 shows high identity of 97, 93, 93 and 67% in the DNA binding zinc finger domain and 51, 44, 48 and 20% overall identity with fugu, human, mouse and Drosophila, respectively. RT-PCR results show the maternal expression of MTF-1 transcripts. The pattern of MTF-1 gene expression during embryonic and early larval development was studied by whole-mount in situ hybridization using DIG-labeled anti-sense RNA probe. Stronger and ubiquitous expression was observed during the embryonic stages whereas, specific expression, especially in the neural parts, was observed throughout the stages studied after hatching.
Chen
Wen-Ya
WY
Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, NanKang, Taipei, Republic of China.
John
Joseph Abraham Christopher
JA
Lin
Chen-Hui
CH
Chang
Chi-Yao
CY
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D016335:Zinc Fingers; D000097809:Transcription Factor MTF-1
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D000097809:Transcription Factor MTF-1