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Zebrafish twist1 is expressed in craniofacial, vertebral, and renal precursors

Development Genes and Evolution volume 217, pages 783–789 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

TWIST1 encodes a transcription factor that contains a highly conserved basic helix–loop–helix DNA-binding domain and a WR motif. We have isolated a full-length complementary DNA of the zebrafish ortholog of TWIST1 and determined its genomic organization. Inter-species comparisons reveal a remarkable degree of conservation at the gene structure, nucleotide, and predicted peptide levels across large evolutionary distances. Using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis and in situ hybridization analyses of whole mount and cryosectioned zebrafish embryos, we detected maternal twist1 transcript in the zygote. During somitogenesis, twist1 transcripts were detected in the intermediate mesoderm from the 2-somite to 18-somite stages, followed by expression in the somites from the 5-somite stage to the 24-somite stage. Also, beginning at the two-somite stage, twist1 expression was observed in head mesenchyme and, subsequently, in neural crest-derived pharyngeal arches as the embryo developed. At the 24-hpf stage, twist1 transcripts were also observed in the ventral tail-bud region. These observations are consistent with a role for twist1 in craniofacial, vertebral, and early renal development.

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Acknowledgment

We thank Vladimir Korzh (Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore) and Karuna Sampath (Temasek Life Science Laboratories, Singapore) for invaluable advice, Shangwei Chong, Nick Qiu (IMCB), and Jin Ben for technical assistance. This work was supported by a grant from the National University of Singapore Academic Research Fund (R178-000-104-112) to SSC.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119074, Singapore

    Gare-Hoon Yeo, Felicia S. H. Cheah & Samuel S. Chong

  2. Departments of Pediatrics, Medicine and Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA

    Ethylin Wang Jabs

  3. McKusick–Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA

    Ethylin Wang Jabs & Samuel S. Chong

  4. Center for Craniofacial Development and Disorders, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA

    Ethylin Wang Jabs & Samuel S. Chong

  5. Children’s Medical Institute and Department of Laboratory Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore, 119074, Singapore

    Samuel S. Chong

Authors
  1. Gare-Hoon Yeo
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  2. Felicia S. H. Cheah
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  3. Ethylin Wang Jabs
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  4. Samuel S. Chong
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Samuel S. Chong.

Additional information

At the time of acceptance of this manuscript, a publication entitled “Four twist genes in zebrafish, four expression patterns” by Germanguz et al. appeared in the August 2007 issue of Developmental Dynamics.

Communicated by M. Hammerschmidt

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Yeo, GH., Cheah, F.S.H., Jabs, E.W. et al. Zebrafish twist1 is expressed in craniofacial, vertebral, and renal precursors. Dev Genes Evol 217, 783–789 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00427-007-0187-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00427-007-0187-7

Keywords

  • twist1
  • Zebrafish
  • Craniofacial
  • Vertebral
  • Renal