Gene duplication and separation of functions in alphaB-crystallin from zebrafish (Danio rerio).

ABSTRACT: We previously reported that zebrafish alphaB-crystallin is not constitutively expressed in nervous or muscular tissue and has reduced chaperone-like activity compared with its human ortholog. Here we characterize the tissue expression pattern and chaperone-like activity of a second zebrafish alphaB-crystallin. Expressed sequence tag analysis of adult zebrafish lens revealed the presence of a novel alpha-crystallin transcript designated cryab2 and the resulting protein alphaB2-crystallin. The deduced protein sequence was 58.2% and 50.3% identical with human alphaB-crystallin and zebrafish alphaB1-crystallin, respectively. RT-PCR showed that alphaB2-crystallin is expressed predominantly in lens but, reminiscent of mammalian alphaB-crystallin, also has lower constitutive expression in heart,

SUBMITTER: Smith AA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2908480 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature