title: Molecular and functional characterization of erythropoietin of the goldfish (Carassius auratus L.).
abstract: Erythropoietin is the principal regulator of erythropoiesis and promotes the survival, proliferation and differentiation of erythroid progenitor cells in mammals. In this study we report on the molecular and functional characterization of erythropoietin from the goldfish. Quantitative expression analysis of goldfish epo revealed the highest mRNA levels in heart, followed by brain, liver, spleen and kidney tissues. There was no marked change of epo expression in goldfish primary kidney macrophage cultures, as progenitor cell to macrophage development progressed, indicating that erythropoietin is not involved in monopoiesis. Recombinant goldfish erythropoietin induced proliferation of progenitor cells in a dose-dependent manner, and up-regulated the expression of erythroid transcription factors gata1 and lmo2 in progenitor cells. Furthermore, recombinant goldfish erythropoietin stimulated erythroid colony formation in a dose-dependent manner and promoted survival of erythroid progenitor cells as colony-forming cells. Our results demonstrate that the function of erythropoietin in the goldfish is similar to that of mammals and suggest a highly conserved mechanism of early erythrocyte development in lower and higher vertebrates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Fumihiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Katakura
authors.forename: Barbara A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Katzenback
authors.forename: Miodrag
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Belosevic
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000502:physiology; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000502:physiology*; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006054:Goldfish / Q000378:metabolism*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010802:Phylogeny; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029941:Fish Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004921:Erythropoietin