Acquisition of glial cells missing 2 enhancers contributes to a diversity of ionocytes in zebrafish.

ABSTRACT: Glial cells missing 2 (gcm2) encoding a GCM-motif transcription factor is expressed in the parathyroid in amniotes. In contrast, gcm2 is expressed in pharyngeal pouches (a homologous site of the parathyroid), gills, and H(+)-ATPase-rich cells (HRCs), a subset of ionocytes on the skin surface of the teleost fish zebrafish. Ionocytes are specialized cells that are involved in osmotic homeostasis in aquatic vertebrates. Here, we showed that gcm2 is essential for the development of HRCs and Na(+)-Cl(-) co-transporter-rich cells (NCCCs), another subset of ionocytes in zebrafish. We also identified gcm2 enhancer regions that control gcm2 expression in ionocytes of zebrafish. Comparisons of the gcm2 locus with its neighboring regions revealed no conserved elements between zebrafish and tetrapods.

SUBMITTER: Shono T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3157436 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature