Abstract
We report here the isolation and characterization of a cDNA encoding zebrafish dermacan, a novel member of hyaluronan (HA)-binding proteoglycans, which was termed after its characteristic expression in the zebrafish dermal bones. The deduced protein sequence shares the typical modular elements of lecticans. Sequence comparison covering the C-terminal globular domain demonstrated that dermacan shows high homology with zebrafish versican but is distinct from any other identified lecticans. Genomic DNA analysis demonstrated that dermacan and versican were encoded by distinct genes in the zebrafish genome. The expression of dermacan is initiated in the sclerotome and cephalic paraxial mesoderm at 16 h postfertilization. During the pharyngular period, dermacan transcripts were detected in the sclerotome, tail fin bud, pharyngular arch primordial region, and otic vesicle. In the development of craniofacial bones, dermacan expression was detected typically in the opercle and dentary. These regions belong to the craniofacial dermal bones. aggrecan expression, in contrast, was observed in the elements of craniofacial cartilage bones. In the dermacan-morpholino-injected embryos, dermal bones, e.g. opercle, dentary, and branchiostegal rays, as well as axial skeleton in the trunk, showed decreased ossification. We conclude that dermacan is a novel lectican gene, and that zebrafish lectican genes have genetically diverged. In addition, our data suggest the involvement of dermacan in zebrafish dermal bone development.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 301-312 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Mechanisms of Development |
Volume | 121 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 2004 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Jeong Suk Kang is a fellow of Jin-nai International Student Scholarship Program of Association of International Education, Japan. We thank Thanikarn Supanich and R. Marina Raya for technical help. We thank Dr Hiroshi Nakayasu for technical advice on maintenance of zebrafish strains. This work was in part supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research to Y.N. and T.O. and a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas to T.O. The work in J.C.I.B's lab was supported by grants form the American Heart Association, the National Science Foundation, and the G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Charitable Foundation. Finally, authors are grateful to all members of the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry for their continual support during this study.
Keywords
- Aggrecan
- Branchiostegal ray
- Craniofacial development
- Dermacan
- Dermal bone
- Lectican
- Morpholino
- Opercle
- Versican
- Zebrafish
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Embryology
- Developmental Biology