title: Characterization and expression of AmphiBMP3 /3b gene in amphioxus Branchiostoma japonicum.
abstract: Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are responsible for regulating embryo development and tissue homeostasis beyond osteogenesis. However, the precise biological roles of BMP3 and BMP3b remain obscure to a certain extent. In the present study, we cloned an orthologous gene (AmphiBMP3/3b) from amphioxus (Branchiostoma japonicum) and found its exon/intron organization is highly conserved. Further, in situ hybridization revealed that the gene was strongly expressed in the dorsal neural plate of the embryos. The gene also appeared in Hatschek's left diverticulum, neural tube, preoral ciliated pit and gill slit of larvae, and adult tissues including ovary, neural tube and notochordal sheath. Additionally, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RTqPCR) analysis revealed that the expression displayed two peaks at gastrula and juvenile stages. These results indicated that AmphiBMP3/3b, a sole orthologue of vertebrate BMP3 and BMP3b, might antagonize ventralizing BMP2 orthologous signaling in embryonic development, play a role in the evolutionary precursors of adenohypophysis, as well as act in female ovary physiology in adult.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Qiu-Jin
authors.initials: QJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Yi-Quan
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055398:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 3 / Q000235:genetics*; D002816:Chordata, Nonvertebrate / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D055413:Growth Differentiation Factor 10 / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D055398:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 3; D055413:Growth Differentiation Factor 10