title: MafT, a new member of the small Maf protein family in zebrafish.
abstract: Small Maf proteins play critical roles on morphogenesis and homeostasis through associating with CNC proteins. To date, three small Maf proteins, MafF, MafG, and MafK, have been reported in vertebrates, which share redundant functions. In this study, we tried to identify and characterize small Maf proteins in zebrafish to elucidate their conservation and diversity in the fish kingdom. We identified homolog genes of MafG and MafK but not MafF in zebrafish, indicating the former two are conserved among vertebrates. In addition, a novel type of small Maf protein MafT was identified. MafT protein bound MARE sequence as a homodimer or heterodimers with zebrafish Nrf2 or p45 Nfe2. Co-overexpression of MafT and Nrf2 synergistically activated MARE-mediated gene expression in zebrafish embryos. These results indicated that MafT is a new member of small Maf proteins and involved in the Nrf2-dependent gene regulation in cellular defense system.
authors.affiliation: ERATO-JST, Center for TARA and Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Yaeko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Keizo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000502:physiology*; D050978:Maf Transcription Factors, Small; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2; D010802:Phylogeny; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015027:Zebrafish; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050978:Maf Transcription Factors, Small; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C488452:maff protein, zebrafish; C495638:nfe2l2a protein, zebrafish