PUBLICATION

A novel tumor necrosis factor (TNF) gene present in tandem with theTNF-alpha gene on the same chromosome in teleosts

Authors
Savan, R., Kono, T., Igawa, D., and Sakai, M.
ID
ZDB-PUB-050318-3
Date
2005
Source
Immunogenetics   57(1-2): 140-150 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Keywords
Teleost, Cytokines, Evolution, Synteny
MeSH Terms
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Chromosomes/genetics*
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Humans
  • Lymphotoxin-alpha/genetics*
  • Lymphotoxin-alpha/metabolism
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phylogeny
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Takifugu/genetics*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/genetics*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism
  • Zebrafish/genetics*
PubMed
15759114 Full text @ Immunogenetics
Abstract
Tumor necrosis factors (TNFs) are pleiotropic cytokines implicated in inflammation, apoptosis, cell proliferation, and a general stimulation of immune system. Although the TNF/lymphotoxin (LT) locus is present in the MHC region of the chromosome in mammals, no such locus has been described from teleosts. Furthermore, in teleosts only the TNF-alpha-like gene has been cloned and analyzed. In this study, for the first time in teleosts, a similar TNF locus has also been found in zebrafish and fugu. This locus harbors a new TNF ligand in tandem with TNF-alpha gene. The fugu and zebrafish TNF locus harbors TNF-alpha and TNF-N genes that are 7.5 kb and 19 kb apart from each other, respectively. Several genes associated with the TNF/LT locus in mammals are found conserved in fish as well. Fish TNF-alpha genes cloned possess a transmembrane domain, two conserved cysteines, and a conserved TNF family signature with a four-exon and three-intron genomic structure. The newly identified TNF-N genes from teleosts are present upstream of TNF-alpha genes in the same transcriptional orientation. However, the coding regions of these genes span into five and four exons in fugu and zebrafish, respectively. The transcription sites in the promoter regions of teleost TNF ligands are fairly conserved in comparison to mammals. Expression analysis indicates a constitutive expression of both the genes in fugu, while differential expression of TNF ligands is seen in zebrafish tissues.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping