Characterization of SoxB2 and SoxC genes in Amphi-oxus (Branchiostoma belcheri):Implications for their evolutionary conservation  

作　　者：LIN YuShuang,CHEN DongYan,FAN QiuSheng & ZHANG HongWei Institute of Developmental Biology,Life Science College,Key Lab of Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education,Shandong University,Jinan 250100,China 

出　　处：《Science China(Life Sciences)》2009年第9期813-822,共10页中国科学（生命科学英文版）

基　　金：Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 30700434 and 30671072);the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (Grant No. Y2007D20);the Shandong Provincial Scientific Research Foundation for Excellent Young Scientists (Grant No. 2006BS02009);the National Basic Re-search and Development Program of China (Grant Nos. 2007CB815800 and 2007CB947100)

摘　　要：Most Sox genes directly affect cell fate determination and differentiation. In this study,we isolated two Sox genes:SoxB2 and SoxC from amphioxus (Branchiostoma belcheri),the closest living invertebrate relative of the vertebrates. Alignments of SoxB2 and SoxC protein sequences and their vertebrate homologs show high conservation of their HMG domains. Phylogenic analysis shows that amphioxus SoxB2 and SoxC fall out of the vertebrate branches,suggesting that vertebrate homologs might arise from gene duplications during evolution. The two genes possess similar spatial and temporal expression patterns during embryogenesis and in adults. They are both maternally inherited. During neurulation,they are expressed in the neural ectoderm and archenterons. In adults,they are expressed not only in the nerve cord,but also in the gut,midgut diverticulum,gill and oocytes. These results suggest that amphioxus SoxB2 and SoxC might co-function and have conserved functions in the nervous system and gonads as their vertebrate homologs.Most Sox genes directly affect cell fate determination and differentiation. In this study,we isolated two Sox genes:SoxB2 and SoxC from amphioxus (Branchiostoma belcheri),the closest living invertebrate relative of the vertebrates. Alignments of SoxB2 and SoxC protein sequences and their vertebrate homologs show high conservation of their HMG domains. Phylogenic analysis shows that amphioxus SoxB2 and SoxC fall out of the vertebrate branches,suggesting that vertebrate homologs might arise from gene duplications during evolution. The two genes possess similar spatial and temporal expression patterns during embryogenesis and in adults. They are both maternally inherited. During neurulation,they are expressed in the neural ectoderm and archenterons. In adults,they are expressed not only in the nerve cord,but also in the gut,midgut diverticulum,gill and oocytes. These results suggest that amphioxus SoxB2 and SoxC might co-function and have conserved functions in the nervous system and gonads as their vertebrate homologs.

关 键 词：AMPHIOXUS SoxB2 SoxC NEURULATION gonads IMMUNITY evolution 

分 类 号：Q78[生物学—分子生物学]