Meeting Abstract

P3.82  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Forkhead gene family in medaka: a view on gene evolution and embryonic expression CUI, Jianzhou*; SHEN, Xueyan; KOCHER, Thomas D.; NAGAHAMA, yoshitaka; University of Maryland; University of Maryland jzcui@umd.edu

Using the genome sequence of the medaka, Oryzias latipes, we examined the genomic complement of Fox genes in this organism to gain insight into the evolution relationship and expression pattern of this gene family. Here we identified 31 Fox genes by searching the Forkhead domain in medaka and by PCR using primers designed from the result of the homology protein alignment. All the medaka Fox genes are encoded in 18 subclasses as follows: 5 Fox genes in subclass D; 3 Fox genes in subclass O; 2 Fox genes in subclass A, B, E, F, G, I, N and P respectively; 1 Fox gene in subclass C, H, J, K, M, Q and R respectively. Together with the Fox protein sequences of human, chicken, frog, zebrafish, C. elegans, the phylogenetic relationship was analyzed and compared. The genes structure, general features and 3 dimensional model of this Fox gene family were also discussed. In addition, we examined the expression pattern of part of these genes in different adult tissues and during embryo development in medaka by using quantitative PCR and in situ hybridization, and the different spatial and temporal expression profiles were found.