Expression and molecular characterization of zebrafish rnf141 gene / 第二军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective: To explore the molecular evolution of zebrafish rnf141 gene and its expression in the embryo and adult zebrafish. Methods: The molecular characteristics of zebrafish rnf141 gene were analyzed through a bioinformatics approach. Expression of rnf141 gene in the embryos of different developmental stages and tissues of adult fish were examined by whole-mount in situ hybridization and multiple-tissue RT-PCR technique. Results: We noticed that zebrafish RNF141 protein shared a 79.8% and 78.5% homologies to its homologues in human and mouse (ZNF230, Znf230), respectively, especially that the C3HC4-type domain and the same conserved cysteine and histidine residues shared a 84.8% and 100% homologies to its homologues in human or mouse. Moreover, the secondary structure of C3HC4-type domain in zebrafish RNF141 protein was the same as that in its human homologue. Whole-mount in situ hybridization showed that zebrafish rnf141 gene expressed ubiquitously during embryogenesis, with higher expression found in the telencephalon, cerebellum and hindbrain. RT-PCR revealed rnf141 gene expression in all the adult tissues detected, and abundance was observed in the testicular tissue. Conclusion: These data suggest that zebrafish rnf141 gene is conservative in the vertebrate and might play important roles in embryogenesis and spermatogenesis.