title: Temporal and spatial expression of CCN genes in zebrafish.
abstract: The six mammalian CCN genes (Cyr61, CTGF, Nov, WISP1, WISP2, WISP3) encode a family of secreted, cysteine-rich, multimodular proteins having roles in cell proliferation, adhesion, migration, and differentiation during embryogenesis, wound healing, and angiogenesis. We used bioinformatics to identify 9 CCN genes in zebrafish (zCCNs), 6 of which have not been previously described. When compared with mammalian CCN family members, 3 were paralogs of Cyr61, 2 of CTGF, 2 of WISP1, 1 of WISP2, and 1 of WISP3. No paralog of Nov was found. In situ hybridization was performed to characterize the sites of expression of the zCCNs during early zebrafish development. zCCNs demonstrated both unique and overlapping patterns of expression, suggesting potential division of labor between orthologous genes and providing an alternate approach to gene function studies that will complement studies in mammalian models.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Fernando
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Conrad
authors.forename: Cynthia F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Bartels
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: To
authors.forename: Stephanie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Balow
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Matthew L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Warman
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D055511:CCN Intercellular Signaling Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D005796:Genes; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D055511:CCN Intercellular Signaling Proteins; C552352:CCN5 protein, zebrafish; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C552351:ccn4a protein, zebrafish; C524360:ccn6 protein, zebrafish; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor