title: A novel fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) gene resulting from tandem gene duplication in mammals: transcription in rat retina and testis.
abstract: We have identified a new member of the FABP gene family, designated FABP12. FABP12 has the same structure as other FABP genes and resides in a cluster with FABP4/5/8/9 within 300,000 bp chromosomal region. FABP12 orthologs are found in mammals, but not in the zebrafish or chicken genomes. We demonstrate that FABP12 is expressed in rodent retina and testis, as well as in human retinoblastoma cell lines. In situ hybridization of adult rat retinal tissue indicates that FABP12 mRNA is expressed in ganglion and inner nuclear layer cells. Analysis of adult rat testis reveals a pattern of expression that is different from that of the known testis FABP (FABP9) in the testicular germ cells, suggesting distinct roles for these two genes during mammalian spermatogenesis. We propose that FABP12 arose as the result of tandem gene duplication, a mechanism that may have been instrumental to the expansion of the FABP family.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Cross Cancer Institute, 11560 University Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 1Z2.
authors.forename: Rong-Zong
authors.initials: RZ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Roseline
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Godbout
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020440:Gene Duplication; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D010802:Phylogeny; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: C534006:FABP12 protein, human; C534008:FABP12 protein, mouse; C534007:FABP12 protein, rat; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins