title: Characterization of three synuclein genes in Xenopus laevis.
abstract: The synuclein family consists of three small intracellular proteins mainly expressed in neural tissues, and has been associated with human neurodegenerative diseases. We have examined the spatial and temporal expression patterns of three synuclein genes during embryogenesis of Xenopus laevis. The Xenopus synucleins were firstly expressed in the developing nervous system at the tail bud stages. At tadpole stages, Xenopus snca was expressed in the brain, branchial arch and somite, and sncbb signals were detected in entire brain and spinal cord. However, sncg was only expressed in the peripheral nervous system including trigeminal nerve and dorsal root ganglion. RT-PCR indicated that expression of synucleins was up-regulated at the end of neurulation, and then maintained at later examined stages. Our study provides the spatiotemporal expression patterns of the synuclein family genes in Xenopus embryos, and forms a basis for further functional analysis of synucleins.
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Chengdong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wood Yee
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Sun On
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Horst
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Grunz
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D051843:Synucleins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020033:Protein Isoforms; D051843:Synucleins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins