title: Molecular cloning and gene expression of the prox1a and prox1b genes in the medaka, Oryzias latipes.
abstract: Prox1 is a prospero-related homeobox gene. Prox1 is expressed in various internal organs and is related to those differentiations. Small fishes such as the zebrafish and the medaka are useful model animals in the clarification of the mechanism of development. The zebrafish prox1 is also identified, and it contributes to clarifying the function of prox1. However, it is necessary to note that many genes are duplicated in teleost fishes. In this study, we identified the orthologs of the mammalian prox1 gene in the medaka. The gene was also duplicated in the medaka, and we named it prox1a and prox1b. In silico analysis from the perspective of synteny indicated that medaka prox1a was similar to the prox1 gene of other vertebrates. Medaka prox1a was expressed in all internal organs that we have examined by RT-PCR. In contrast, medaka prox1b expression was limited to the brain, heart, liver, kidney, thymus, gill, testis, and ovary. This suggests that the two prox1 genes do not have a complementary relationship. In addition, we examined their expression patterns during embryonic development using whole-mount in situ hybridization. The expression pattern of prox1a showed a pattern similar to that of zebrafish prox1. In contrast, medaka prox1b was expressed asymmetrically in part of the central nervous system, especially strongly in the right side of the habenula.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Cell Engineering (RICE), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 3-11-46 Nakouji, Amagasaki, Hyogo 661-0974, Japan. tomonori-deguchi@aist.go.jp
authors.forename: Tomonori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Deguchi
authors.forename: Kazuhiro E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Fujimori
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohgushi
authors.forename: Shunsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yuba
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009990:Oryzias / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D000098551:Prospero-Related Homeobox 1 Protein
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D029941:Fish Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D000098551:Prospero-Related Homeobox 1 Protein