delta-Protocadherins: a gene family expressed differentially in the mouse brain.
Phylogenetic analysis of protocadherin genes identified a new gene subfamily, the delta-protocadherins, containing several conserved motifs in their cytoplasmic domains. This subfamily can be further subdivided into two subgroups, named delta1-protocadherins (comprising protocadherin-1, -7, -9, and -11 or X/Y) and delta2-protocadherins (comprising protocadherin-8, -10, -17, -18, and -19). The members of the delta1-protocadherin subgroup were analyzed in greater detail here. They share a similar gene structure that results in the expression of multiple alternative transcripts. All members of this subgroup have at least one transcript that contains a binding site for protein phosphatase-1alpha. Like most classic cadherins, each of three delta1-protocadherins analyzed in this study by in situ hybridization showed a unique expression pattern that differed from the patterns of the other delta1-protocadherins. Together, these results suggest that the members of the delta1-protocadherin subgroup exercise tightly regulated functions in the development, regionalization, and functional differentiation of the mouse brain.
Vanhalst
K
K
Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, VIB-Ghent University Technologiepark 927B, 9052, Ghent, Zwijnaarde, Belgium.
Kools
P
P
Staes
K
K
van Roy
F
F
Redies
C
C
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D015870:Gene Expression; D015723:Gene Library; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016415:Sequence Alignment
D015820:Cadherins