title: The zebrafish genome contains two inducible, functional cyclooxygenase-2 genes.
abstract: Cyclooxygenase is a key enzyme in prostanoid biosynthesis. Mammalian species have two cyclooxygenases, constitutively expressed cyclooxygenase-1 (Cox-1) and inducible cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2). Cox-1 and/or Cox-2 have been also identified in other vertebrates, including fish. We identified a second zebrafish Cox-2 gene orthologue, Cox-2b. All of the functionally important amino acids for cyclooxygenase enzymes are conserved in Cox-2b. The 3' untranslated region of the Cox-2b message contains AU rich elements characteristic of regulation at the level of mRNA stability. Constitutive tissue expression patterns for Cox-2a and Cox-2b are distinct, but overlap. Both Cox-2a and Cox-2b expression are inducible in the kidney when fish are exposed to tetradecanoylphorbol acetate. Like Cox-2a, Cox-2b protein, expressed in COS cells is functionally active. Thus, the zebrafish genome contains two functional, inducible Cox-2 genes. Database searching demonstrates that some fish genomes contain multiple Cox-1 or Cox-2 cyclooxygenase genes, suggesting alternate duplication and retention of this gene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Tomo-O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Kevin J P
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: Utpal
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.forename: Harvey R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Herschman
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D019556:COS Cells; D002460:Cell Line; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016678:Genome / Q000235:genetics*; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2