New members of the neurexin superfamily: multiple rodent homologues of the human CASPR5 gene.
Proteins of the Caspr family are involved in cell contacts and communication in the nervous system. We identified and, by in silico reconstruction, compiled three orthologues of the human CASPR5 gene from the mouse genome, four from the rat genome, and one each from the chimpanzee, dog, opossum, and chicken genomes. Obviously, Caspr5 gene duplications have taken place during evolution of the rodent lineage. In the rat, the four paralogues are located in one chromosome arm, Chr 13p. In the mouse, however, the three Caspr5 genes are located in two chromosomes, Chr 1 and Chr 17. RT-PCR shows that all three mouse paralogues are being expressed. Common expression is found in brain tissue but different expression patterns are seen in other organs during fetal development and in the adult stage. Tissue specificity of expression has diverged during evolution of this young rodent gene family.
Traut
Walther
W
Institut für Biologie, Zentrum für medizinische Struktur- und Zellbiologie, Universität zu Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany. traut@molbio.uni-luebeck.de
Weichenhan
Dieter
D
Himmelbauer
Heinz
H
Winking
Heinz
H
D000818:Animals; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000235:genetics*; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics; D004285:Dogs; D020440:Gene Duplication; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009893:Opossums / Q000235:genetics; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats
C513597:CNTNAP5 protein, human; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; C491322:Cntnap1 protein, mouse