Na, K-ATPase beta2 isoform (atp1b2) expressed in the retina of Xenopus / 동물의과학연구지

ABSTRACT

The ubiquitous Na, K-ATPase is a membrane-bound ion pump located in the plasma membrane in all animal cells and plays an essential role in a variety of cellular functions. Studies in several organisms have shown that this protein regulates different aspects of embryonic development and is responsible for the pathogenesis of several human diseases. Na, K-ATPase is an important factor for retinal development, and combinations of the isoforms of each of its subunits are expressed in different cell types and determine its functional properties. In this study, we performed RT-PCR assay to determine temporal expression and in situ hybridization to determine spatial expression of Na, K-ATPase beta2 isoform (atp1b2) in Xenopus laevis. Focusing on retinal expression to distinguish the specific expression domain, we used retinal marker genes sox4, sox11, vsx1, and . Xenopus atp1b2 was expressed from late gastrulation to the tadpole stage. Using whole mount in situ hybridization, we showed that Xenopus atp1b2 was expressed broadly in the eye, the whole surface ectoderm, and gills. In situ hybridization on sections revealed detailed and specific expression in the outer nuclear layer of the retina, which consists of two major classes of photoreceptors, rods and cones, surface ectoderm, pharyngeal epithelium, and gills. These findings indicate that atp1b2 may play an important role for the development of Xenopus retina.