Genome-wide identification and spatiotemporal expression profiling of zinc finger SWIM domain-containing protein family genes

Abstract

The biological function of the novel zinc-finger SWIM domain-containing protein family (ZSWIM) during embryonic development remains elusive. Here, we conducted a genome-wide analysis to explore the evolutionary processes of the <i>ZSWIM</i> gene family members in mice, <i>Xenopus tropicalis</i>, zebrafish, and humans. We identified nine putative <i>ZSWIM</i> genes in the human and mouse genome, eight in the <i>Xenopus</i> genome, and five in the zebrafish genome. Based on multiple sequence alignment, three members, ZSWIM5, ZSWIM6, and ZSWIM8, demonstrated the highest homology across all four species. Using available RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data, <i>ZSWIM</i> genes were found to be widely expressed across different tissues, with distinct tissue-specific properties. To identify the functions of the ZSWIM protein family during embryogenesis, we examined temporal and spatial expression patterns of <i>zswim</i> family genes in <i>Xenopus</i> embryos<i>.</i> Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) revealed that each member had a distinct expression profile. Whole-mount <i>in situ</i> hybridization showed that both <i>zswim1</i> and <i>zswim3</i> were maternally expressed genes; <i>zswim5</i> and <i>zswim6</i> were expressed throughout embryogenesis and displayed dynamic expression in the brain, eyes, somite, and bronchial arch at the late tailbud stages; <i>zswim7</i> was detected in the eye area; <i>zswim8</i> showed a dynamic expression pattern during the tailbud stages, with expression detected in the brain, eyes, and somite; <i>zswim9</i> was faintly expressed throughout embryonic development. This study provides a foundation for future research to delineate the functions of <i>ZSWIM</i> gene members.