Differential expression of duplicated VAL-opsin genes in the developing zebrafish.
Non-visual opsins mediate various light-dependent physiological events. Our previous search for non-visual opsin genes in zebrafish led to the discovery of VAL-opsin (VAL-opsinA) in deep brain cells and retinal horizontal cells of the adult fish. In this study, we report the identification and characterization of its duplicated gene, VAL-opsinB, in zebrafish. A molecular phylogenetic analysis indicates that VAL-opsinB is orthologous to a previously reported salmon gene and that the duplication of the VAL-opsin gene occurred in the teleost lineage. The recombinant protein of zebrafish VAL-opsinB forms a green-sensitive photopigment when reconstituted with 11-cis-retinal. VAL-opsinB expression was detected in a limited number of cells of the brain and the eye, and the expression pattern is distinct from that of the VAL-opsinA gene. Such a differential expression pattern suggests that VAL-opsinA and VAL-opsinB are involved in different physiological events in zebrafish.
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
Daisuke
D
Kojima
Masaki
M
Torii
Yoshitaka
Y
Fukada
John E
JE
Dowling
D000818:Animals; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D020131:Genes, Duplicate / Q000502:physiology*; D051258:MafB Transcription Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051248:Retinal Horizontal Cells / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D017299:Rod Opsins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D015027:Zebrafish; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*
D051258:MafB Transcription Factor; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D017299:Rod Opsins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C111092:mafb protein, zebrafish