Comparative genomic analysis of slc39a12/ZIP12: insight into a zinc transporter required for vertebrate nervous system development.

ABSTRACT: The zinc transporter ZIP12, which is encoded by the gene slc39a12, has previously been shown to be important for neuronal differentiation in mouse Neuro-2a neuroblastoma cells and primary mouse neurons and necessary for neurulation during Xenopus tropicalis embryogenesis. However, relatively little is known about the biochemical properties, cellular regulation, or the physiological role of this gene. The hypothesis that ZIP12 is a zinc transporter important for nervous system function and development guided a comparative genetics approach to uncover the presence of ZIP12 in various genomes and identify conserved sequences and expression patterns associated with ZIP12. Ortholog detection of slc39a12 was conducted with reciprocal BLAST hits with the amino acid sequence of human ZIP12 in comp

SUBMITTER: Chowanadisai W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4222902 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature