Abstract
In separate expression pattern and micro-array screens the zinc finger containing factor, znfl2, has been previously implicated in hematopoiesis. Here we analysed znfl2 expression in detail and performed genetic epistatic analysis in a series of hematopoietic mutants and transient gain-of-function models. znfl2 expression in the hematopoietic intermediate mesoderm and derived erythrocytes required early genes cloche and spadetail, but not gata1. Expression was up-regulated in scl gain-of-function embryos, identifying znfl2 as an early erythroid factor that is regulated upstream or independently of gata1. Furthermore, we identified a duplicate znfl2 gene in the genome (znfl2b) which was expressed in early mesendoderm and weakly in the lateral plate mesoderm, overlapping in expression with znfl2. The production of loss-of-function models for znfl2, znfl2b and znfl2/znfl2b together suggested that these erythrocyte specific zinc finger genes are dispensible for erythropoiesis.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported in part by a National Health and Medical Research Council Project Grant 234708; GJL was supported by a Wellcome Senior Research Fellowship in Medical Sciences in Australia (1997–2002); BMH was supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award Scholarship and a Cancer Council of Victoria Postdoctoral Cancer Research Fellowship; LP was supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award scholarship and a CSIRO enhancement stipend. We thank Sony Varma, Andrew Trotter and Andrew Hughes for expert technical assistance and Judy Layton for useful discussions. GJL is a member of the Australian Research Council / National Health and Medical Research Council Network in Genes and Environment in Development.
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Communicated by M. Hammerschmidt
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Hogan, B.M., Pase, L., Hall, N.E. et al. Characterisation of duplicate zinc finger like 2 erythroid precursor genes in zebrafish. Dev Genes Evol 216, 523–529 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00427-006-0062-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00427-006-0062-y