International Mammalian Genome Society

17th International Mouse Genome Conference

9-12 November 2003, Braunschweig, Germany

Plenary Presentations * Oral Presentations *
Poster Presentations: Behavioural Genetics and Genomics * Development and Stem Cells * Functional Genome Analysis * Mouse Models of Human Disease * Mouse System Biology Bioinformatics * Multigenic and Multifactorial Trait Analysis * Nutrition and Metabolic Disease * Phenotyping Methods Imaging * The Genetics and Genomics of Infectious Disease *
Verne Chapman Memorial Lecture * Table of Contents * Sponsor/Exhibitor List * Awards * Photographs

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POSTER 22 - IDENTIFY BZW2 AS A UNIQUE MOLECULAR MARKER FOR KIDNEY DESCENDING LIMB OF HENLE LOOP

Yu MY
Nanjing University

Co-Authors: Sha HB, Zeng H, Xie W, Gao X
Institutions: Nanjing University

By reciprocal BLAST analysis, we have identified a gene family in mouse which is homologous to Drosophila elongation initiation factor 5C gene (ecp). This gene family has four members mapped to chromosome 1,4,12 and 13 respectively. We cloned the cDNA of genes on chromosome 1 and 12, named as BZW1 and BZW2 by RT-PCR. These two genes encode proteins about 50Kd and share 50% homology with Drosophila ECP. Northern blotting indicated BZW1 was specifically expressed in adult mouse testis though its mRNA could be detected from embryo as early as gestation day 9. The human counterpart of BZW2, HSPC028, was found deleted in Wilms tumor (WT) patients. Interestingly, using an antiserum raised against Drosophila ECP that cross-reacts with mouse BZW2, only kidney tissue displayed a specific band by western blot. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that BZW2 was expressed at the brush borders of proximal straight tubules of Henle Loop descending limb. In embryo, BZW2 gene was initially expressed in developing kidney of gestation day 16.5, when proximal/distal convoluted tubules and Henle Loop begin to differentiate. Therefore, BZW2 is the first molecular marker identified for proximal straight descending tubules of Henle Loop and may play a crucial role for kidney development and function.