title: Identification of a new cartilage-specific S100-like protein up-regulated during endo/perichondral mineralization in gilthead seabream.
abstract: Calcium ions and calcium-binding proteins play a major role in many cellular processes, in particular skeletogenesis and bone formation. We report here the discovery of a novel S100 protein in fish and the analysis of its gene expression patterns. A 648-bp full-length cDNA encoding an 86-amino acid S100-like calcium-binding protein was identified through the subtractive hybridization of a gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) cDNA library constructed to identify genes associated with in vitro mineralization. Deduced protein lacks an identifiable signal peptide and exhibits two EF-hand motifs characteristic of S100 proteins. Phylogenetic and bioinformatic analyses of S100 sequences suggested that gilthead seabream protein represents a novel and fish-specific member of the S100 protein family. Expression of S100-like gene was up-regulated during the in vitro mineralization of bone-derived cell lines and during seabream development, from larvae throughout adulthood, reflecting skeletogenesis. Restriction of S100-like gene expression to chondrocytes of cartilaginous tissues undergoing endo/perichondral mineralization in juvenile fish further confirmed the mineralogenic role of the protein in fish and emphasized the potential of S100-like as a marker of mineralizing cartilage in developing fish.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Vera G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Laizé
authors.forename: Paulo J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Gavaia
authors.forename: M Leonor
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cancela
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002113:Calcification, Physiologic / Q000235:genetics*; D002356:Cartilage / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D019295:Computational Biology; D020832:EF Hand Motifs / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D021541:Sea Bream / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D009418:S100 Proteins