Expression analysis of the adaptor proteins Sh2b family during zebrafish embryonic development

• Published in: Gene Expression Patterns Vol. 56; p. 119401
• Main Authors: Peng, Yuanyuan, Jiang, Qiu, Zhou, liwen, Jia, Yuanqi, Liu, Chang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.12.2025
• Subjects: Development; Expression; sh2b1; sh2b2; sh2b3; Zebrafish; sh2b1; Development; sh2b2; Zebrafish; sh2b3; Expression
• ISSN: 1567-133X; 1872-7298; 1872-7298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2025.119401

The SH2B family, which includes SH2B1, SH2B2, and SH2B3, consists of adaptor proteins that possess conserved Src homology 2 (SH2) and pleckstrin homology (PH) domains, playing essential roles as signaling mediators. However, the gene expression patterns of this family during embryonic development are still mostly unclear. In this study, we first investigated the evolutionary conservation of SH2B across multiple species using phylogenetic analysis, which revealed high sequence homology between zebrafish Sh2b and its orthologs in other vertebrates. Subsequently, we examined the expression patterns of sh2b during zebrafish embryogenesis through whole mount in situ hybridization. The findings revealed that all sh2b genes are expressed during the early developmental stages of zebrafish embryos, with a significant concentration in the brain, eyes, and spinal cord. Additionally, sh2b1 was found to be expressed in the lateral line neuromast (lln) support cells. In conclusion, our results suggest that the sh2b family is mainly localized in the brain and eyes, with sh2b1 specifically expressed in the lln support cells. This study offers important insights into the role of the sh2b family in zebrafish embryonic development. •It's the first study to reveal the expression pattern of the sh2b gene family in zebrafish.•Zebrafish sh2b1, sh2b2, and sh2b3 are predominantly expressed in the brain, eyes, and spinal cord.•Lateral line neuromast expression of sh2b1 suggests a unique functional divergence compared to other sh2b family members.