Elovl4 mRNA distribution in the developing mouse retina and phylogenetic conservation of Elovl4 genes

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Publication Type Journal Article
School or College School of Medicine
Department Ophthalmology
Creator Baehr, Wolfgang; Zhang, Kang
Other Author Zhang, Xian-Mei; Yang, Zhenglin; Karan, Goutam; Hashimoto, Takao; Yang, Xian-Jie
Title Elovl4 mRNA distribution in the developing mouse retina and phylogenetic conservation of Elovl4 genes
Date 2003
Description PURPOSE: Stargardt-like macular dystrophy (STGD3) is an autosomal dominant form of early onset macular degeneration. The disease causing gene ELOVL4 encodes a protein that belongs to a family of proteins functioning in elongation of long chain fatty acids. The purpose of this study is to characterize cross-species conservation of ELOVL4 and investigate its mRNA distribution in the developing mouse eye. METHODS: Bovine and porcine orthologs of the human ELOVL4 gene were cloned using RT-PCR method. EST and HTGS databases were searched for orthologs of ELOVL4. Cross-species alignments were performed using ClustalW. In situ hybridizations using murine Elovl4 probes were performed on frozen sections of mouse eyes. RESULTS: Elovl4 orthologs from mammalian to invertebrate species share strong sequence homology with human ELOVL4 at the amino acid level, suggesting functional conservation of Elovl4 during evolution. Expression of Elovl4 in mouse retina begins at E15 during embryogenesis and persists in postnatal stages. However, Elovl4 is predominantly expressed in the retinal ganglion cells at P1-P3, followed by predominant expression in the outer nuclear layer at P7, with its final expression enriched in inner segments of photoreceptors. CONCLUSIONS: Elovl4 expression in developing retina follows a dynamic pattern. It switches from predominant ganglion cell expression in embryonic and early postnatal development to predominant expression in the photoreceptor inner segments in later stages. Phylogenetic analysis reveals strong conservation of Elovl4 among different species throughout the vertebrate subphylum consistent with our hypothesis that ELOVL4 performs a fundamentally important function.
Type Text
Publisher Molecular Vision
First Page 301
Last Page 307
Subject Amino Acid Sequence; Cloning, Molecular; Molecular Sequence Data
Subject MESH Eye Proteins; Membrane Proteins; RNA, Messenger
Language eng
Bibliographic Citation Zhang XM, Yang Z, Karan G, Hashimoto T, Baehr W, Yang XJ, Zhang K. (2003). Elovl4 mRNA distribution in the developing mouse retina and phylogenetic conservation of Elovl4 genes. Mol Vis, 9, 301-7
Rights Management (c) Molecular Vision
Format Medium application/pdf
Identifier ir-main,1733
ARK ark:/87278/s6668xck
Setname ir_uspace
ID 703092
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6668xck
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