Table 1

The expression of alpha-skeletal actin in different vertebrate species.

Organism
Gene expression
Reference (Method)

Mouse
somites, forelimb buds, hindlimb buds, heart, liver, branchial arches,mandible,lens, otic vesicle,brain regions
This study (in situ hybridization)
Mouse/Rat
somites, forelimb buds, hindlimb buds, heart, trunk, head and paraxial mesenchym, cephalic musculature, intraembryonic coelom
Sassoon et al. (1988) [38] (in situ hybridization) Lyons et al. (1991) [53] (in situ hybridization and alpha-skeletal actin specific polyclonal antibody) McHugh et al. (1991) [48] (Northern blot) Asante et al. (1994) [69] (alpha-skeletal actin – Lac Z transgene)
Chicken
somites, forelimb buds, hindlimb buds, heart, liver, cephalic musculature, branchial arches, lens, otic vesicle,nasal pituitary, brain regions
This study (in situ hybridization)

somites, skeletal muscle (limb buds), heart
Hayward & Schwartz (1986) [33, 34] (cell culture hybridization) Ruzicka & Schwartz (1988) [34] (in situ hybridization)
Snake
somites, heart, liver, cephalic musculature, branchial arches,proliverative cell layer, otic vesicle,nasal pituitary, brain regions
This study (in situ hybridization)
Salamander
somites, heart
This study (in situ hybridization)
Frog
somites
Mohun et al. (1984) [42] (gene-specific probe) Boardman et al. (1992) [70] (actin – β-globin fusion gene)
Zebrafish
blastomeres, EVL, somites, pectoral fin musculature (not shown), heart, liver, cephalic musculature, branchial arches,jaw musculature,lens, proliverative cell layer,cerebellum,epiphysis,midbrain, hindbrain,midcerebral vein
This study (in situ hybridization)

blastomeres, EVL, paraxial mesoderm, adaxial cell, somites, pectoral fin, musculature, cephalic musculature
Rauch et al. (2003-present) [71] (in situ hybridization) Thisse & Thisse (2004-present) [72] (in situ hybridization) Lee et al. (2006) [73] (in situ hybridization) Lin et al. (2006) [74] (alpha-skeletal actin – RFP transgene) Hinits and Hughes (2007) [75] (in situ hybridization)

For each of the organisms that were used here, we list the expression domains found in this study in the upper row. Newly in this study discovered expression domains are shown in bold. Expressions domains that have been described in previous studies are listed in the second row.

Bertola et al. BMC Evolutionary Biology 2008 8:166   doi:10.1186/1471-2148-8-166