title: Slit-like 2, a novel zebrafish slit homologue that might involve in zebrafish central neural and vascular morphogenesis.
abstract: Nervous and vascular systems grow as parallel networks, indicating common cues in distal targets. We have identified a novel zebrafish gene slit-like 2 (slitl2) that might involve in zebrafish central neural and vascular morphogenesis. Whole-mount in situ hybridization of zebrafish embryo detected distinct signals of slitl2 transcripts in zebrafish midline structure of central nervous system similar to that of slits. Strong expression is also observed in zebrafish vasculature. Zebrafish slitl2 shares amino acid sequence identity of 41% with Homo sapiens slitl2 (vasorin) and Mus musculus slitl2, and 35%, 33% with Danio rerio slit3, slit2. Analysis of zebrafish slitl2 cripto growth factor domain, extracellular matrix protein slit domain, and putative signal peptide confirms that as a secreted and cell-surface protein slitl2 may be essential in axon guidance, vessel development, and axis patterning. These results provide evidence that slitl2 may play important roles in zebrafish central nervous system and vascular morphogenesis.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ji-hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Shu-hong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Huai-dong
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jing-lun
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Xue
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000196:embryology*; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000196:embryology*; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009024:Morphogenesis; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology*; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C505242:vasna protein, zebrafish