Zebrafish calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (cam-kii) inhibitors: Expression patterns and their roles in zebrafish brain development

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM-KII) plays a critical role in neuronal functions. In this report, we demonstrate the expression patterns, functional analysis, and development role of the two zebrafish CaM-KII inhibitors, cam-kiin1 and cam-kiin2. Both of these genes were detected in the 5-somite stage and are persistently expressed thereafter. The RNA transcripts of cam-kiin1 were prominently expressed in the forebrain and hindbrain regions, especially in the telencephalon, while cam-kiin2 was detected in the anterior brain region and neurons of the hindbrain. Through GST-pull down, co-immunoprecipitation, and kinase assay, cam-kii inhibitors can bind to and reduce cam-kiiα activity. However, no overt alternation of brain marker such as ngn1, otx2, and pax2.1 was observed in morphants received each one or combined MO. Our results suggest that the two cam-kii inhibitors exhibited distinct expression pattern and may play a minor role in zebrafish brain development.