Fish gonad development: Search for differentially expressed genes in zebrafish

Abstract

The knowledge on the molecular mechanisms leading to the development of the two different kinds of fish gonad is limited. We developed a set of genomic tools (including 30,000 ESTs and a macroarray containing over 2,500 unique cDNA) to study this process in zebrafish. We monitored changes in the gene expression profile during gonad differentiation and isolated a set of genes, which showed altered expression at the time when the two types of gonad starts to differentiate. Some of these genes might be involved in the differentiation process itself but they can definitely be used as a marker for future studies. We have also identified a vertebrate-specific transcription initiation factor, TBP2 with stronger expression in the ovary than in the testis. TBP2 has an essential function during embryonic development, but it could also have a function in the gonad, as it localizes to the nucleus of the young oocytes and forms a??transcription-competenta?? complexes in this cell type.