Molecular cloning of DAX1 and SHP cDNAs and their expression patterns in the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

Abstract Piscine DAX1 and SHP cDNAs with an open reading frame encoding 296 and 258 amino acid residues, respectively, as well as SHP partial gene fragment, were cloned from Nile tilapia. Phylogenetic analyses of DAX1 s, SHP s, and homologous EST fragments indicate that DAX1 and SHP are conserved in gene structure and are present throughout vertebrates. A single band of ∼1.4 kb for DAX1 and of ∼1.2 kb for SHP was detected in the Northern blot analysis. Tissue distribution analysis by RT-PCR showed that fish DAX1 and SHP mRNAs are widely expressed in adult tissues, with the most abundant expression in gonads and liver, respectively. DAX1 and SHP were also detected in gonads of both sexes at 5–90 days after hatching (dah). However, the expression of DAX1 is weak at 5 and 10 dah and then significantly up-regulated between 10 and 15 dah, whereas the expression of SHP is moderate and consistent during the ontogeny.