Zebrafish Cx30.3: Identification and Characterization of a Gap Junction Gene Highly Expressed in the Skin

Overview

Journal Dev Dyn

Publisher Wiley

Specialty Anatomy & Histology

Date 2010 Aug 26

PMID 20737512

Citations 5

Authors

Liang Tao

Adam M Derosa

Thomas W White

Gunnar Valdimarsson

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

We have identified and characterized a zebrafish connexin, Cx30.3. Sequence similarity analyses suggested that Cx30.3 was orthologous to both mammalian Cx26 and Cx30, known to play important roles in the skin and inner ear of mammals. Analysis of mRNA expression showed that Cx30.3 was present in early embryos, and was highly abundant in skin, but also detected in other tissues including fins, inner ear, heart, and the retina. Injection of Cx30.3 cRNA into Xenopus oocytes elicited robust intercellular coupling with voltage gating sensitivity similar to mammalian Cx26 and Cx30. The similarities in functional properties and expression patterns suggest that Cx30.3, like mammalian Cx26 and Cx30, may play a significant role in skin development, hearing, and balance in zebrafish. Thus, zebrafish could potentially serve as an excellent model to study disorders of the skin and deafness that result from human connexin mutations.

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