Isolation and molecular characterization of Rem2 isoforms in the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): Tissue and central nervous system expression

REM2 is a member of the REM, RAD, and GEM/KIR (RGK) subfamily of RAS superfamily proteins and plays an important role in brain development and function. In this study, two Rem2 isoforms were isolated from the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The two genes, designated O. mykiss rem2a and rem2b, both encode 304 amino acid proteins with 61% and 62% identities to zebrafish (Danio rerio) Rem2, respectively, and each with 43% identity to mammalian (human) REM2. To our knowledge, this is the first incidence of Rem2 isoforms in a species that are the result of gene duplication. Both isoforms possessed similar tissue expression profiles with the highest levels in the brain. The rem2a gene has significantly higher expression levels than rem2b in all tissues assayed except the brain and head kidney. In the central nervous system, both isoforms showed similar expression levels with the highest levels occurring in the olfactory bulb, cerebrum, and midbrain, though rem2a expression is significantly higher in the spinal cord. Based on known functional roles of Rem2 in synapse development and stem cell proliferation, the characterization of Rem2 in rainbow trout could shed light on its role in adult vertebrate neurogenesis and brain regeneration.