Basic leucine zipper transcription factors C/EBP and MafL in the hydrozoan jellyfish Podocoryne carnea.
Members of the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) and the Maf protein subfamilies have been characterized in a variety of bilaterian organisms. This is the first report of C/EBP and MafL genes in a basal organism, the hydrozoan jellyfish Podocoryne carnea. Transcripts of both genes are present in all life cycle stages: egg, embryo, larva, polyp, and medusa. During early development, both factors appear to regulate metamorphosis of the larva to the primary polyp. Both genes are also expressed in the striated muscle of the developing and adult medusa. During in vitro transdifferentiation of striated muscle cells to smooth muscle and nerve cells, C/EBP is continuously expressed, whereas MafL expression is turned off during transdifferentiation and reactivated when nerve cells differentiate. Thus, both factors may be involved in muscle and nerve cell differentiation. In the mature medusa both genes are also implicated in gametogenesis. Developmental and evolutionary aspects of the gene structures and expression patterns are discussed.
Seipel
Katja
K
Institute of Zoology, University of Basel, Biocenter/Pharmacenter, Basel, Switzerland. Katja.Seipel@unibas.ch
Yanze
Nathalie
N
Müller
Peter
P
Streitwolf
Ruth
R
Schmid
Volker
V
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D015870:Gene Expression; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D016350:Leucine Zippers / Q000235:genetics*; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D008675:Metamorphosis, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012038:Regeneration; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D037401:Scyphozoa / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
D014157:Transcription Factors