Glycobiology Advance Access originally published online on December 23, 2003
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Glycobiology vol 14 no 3 pp. 219-232, 2004
Glycobiology vol. 14 no. 3 © Oxford University Press 2004; all rights reserved.
Biochemical and molecular characterization of galectins from zebrafish (Danio rerio): notochord-specific expression of a prototype galectin during early embryogenesis
Center of Marine Biotechnology, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, 701 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202
Received on July 21, 2003; revised on September 17, 2003; accepted on October 7, 2003
Galectins are a family of ß-galactoside-binding lectins that on synthesis are either translocated into the nucleus or released to the extracellular space. Their developmentally regulated expression, extracellular location, and affinity for extracellular components (such as laminin and fibronectin) suggest a role in embryonic development, but so far this has not been unequivocally established. Zebrafish constitute an ideal model for developmental studies because of their external fertilization, transparent embryos, rapid growth, and availability of a large collection of mutants. As a first step in addressing the biological roles in zebrafish embryogenesis, we identified and characterized members of the three galectin types: three protogalectins (Drgal1-L1, Drgal1-L2, Drgal1-L3), one chimera galectin (Drgal3), and one tandem-repeat galectin (Drgal9-L1). Like mammalian prototype galectin-1, Drgal1-L2 preferentially binds to N-acetyllactosamine. Genomic structure of Drgal1-L2 revealed four exons, with the exon–intron boundaries conserved with the mammalian galectin-1. Interestingly, this gene also encodes an alternatively spliced form of Drgal1-L2 that lacks eight amino acids near the carbohydrate-binding domain. Zebrafish galectins exhibited distinct patterns of temporal expression during embryo development. Drgal1-L2 is expressed postbud stage, and its expression is strikingly specific to the notochord. In contrast, Drgal1-L1 is expressed maternally in the oocytes. Drgal1-L3, Drgal3, and Drgal9-L1 are expressed both maternally and zygotically, ubiquitously in the adult tissues. The distinct temporal and spatial patterns of expression of members of the zebrafish galectin repertoire suggest that each may play distinct biological roles during early embryogenesis.
1 To whom correspondence should be addressed; e-mail: vasta{at}umbi.umd.edu
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