Phylogenetic analysis and developmental expression of brp-like genes in amphioxus and zebrafish

摘要

The brp-like genes in amphioxus (Branchiostoma belcheri tsingtauense) and in zebrafish (Danio rerio) are reported.The putative brp-like proteins are orthologous to the ancestor of the human brain protein 239FB and 239AB.Previous studies showed that human brain protein 239 might play a role in central nervous system development and function.In this study,the transcripts of zebrafish brp-like gene are mainly located in the developing central neural system in embryo and larva similar to its orthologous genes in human.In contrast,the developmental expression pattern of amphioxus brp-like gene suggests that the gene might be involved in the development of the notochord,pharynx,gills and gut in amphioxus embryos and larvae.Phylogenetic analysis shows that the amphioxus brp-like gene is closer to the orthologous genes in vertebrates than those in invertebrates.The results suggest that the function of the brain protein 239 family genes may change in evolution.