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Identification of cDNAs from Japanese pufferfish ( Fugu rubripes ) and Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) coding for homologues to tetrapod prion proteins
Author(s) -
Oidtmann Birgit,
Simon Dietrich,
Holtkamp Nikola,
Hoffmann Rudolf,
Baier Michael
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(03)00149-2
Subject(s) - salmo , fugu , tetrapod (structure) , biology , takifugu rubripes , gene , genetics , coding region , vertebrate , zoology , fish <actinopterygii> , fishery , paleontology
We identified cDNAs coding for homologues to tetrapod prion proteins (PrPs) in Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) and Japanese pufferfish ( Fugu rubripes ), which were termed ‘similar to PrPs’ (stPrPs). Besides significant sequence homologies the fish stPrPs display characteristic structural features in common with tetrapod PrPs. In addition, two stPrPs were shown to be highly expressed in brain tissue. None of the so far identified PrP‐homologues of fish resembles doppel. Hence, the duplication of the PrP gene, which generated doppel, may have occurred not in fish but later in the tetrapod lineage. The identification of fish PrPs provides a basis to address concerns about a possible susceptibility of fish to prion infections.