Int. J. Dev. Biol. 51: 333 - 338 (2007)

https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.062257cc

Vol 51, Issue 4

Isolation, genomic structure and developmental expression of Fgf8 in the short-tailed fruit bat, Carollia perspicillata

Developmental Expression Pattern | Published: 1 May 2007

Chris J. Cretekos¹, Jian-Min Deng¹, Eric D. Green², NISC Comparative Sequencing Program², John J. Rasweiler³ and Richard R. Behringer^1,*

¹Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, ²NISC Comparative Sequencing Program, Genome Technology Branch and NIH Intramural Sequencing Center (NISC), National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland and ³Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA

Abstract

Fibroblast growth factor-8 (Fgf8) encodes a secreted protein which was initially identified as the factor responsible for androgen-dependant growth of mouse mammary carcinoma cells (Tanaka et al., 1992). Fgf8 has been subsequently implicated in the patterning and growth of the gastrulating embryo, paraxial mesoderm (somites), limbs, craniofacial tissues, central nervous system and other organ systems during the development of several vertebrate model animals. Consistent with these findings, Fgf8 is expressed in a complex and dynamic pattern during vertebrate embryogenesis. Here we report the isolation and characterization of a bat (Carollia perspicillata) Fgf8 orthologue. Compared with those of other model vertebrates, Carollia Fgf8 is conserved with respect to genomic structure, sequence and many domains of developmental expression pattern. Interestingly, the expression domain marking the apical ectodermal ridge of the developing limb shows a striking difference compared to that of mouse, consistent with evolutionary diversification of bat limb morphology.

Keywords

Chiroptera, Carollia perspicillata, Fgf8, genomic structure, gene expression