Résumé
We have cloned and characterized a cDNA encoding
Cg-tal in the Pacific oyster
Crassostrea gigas. The isolated cDNA encodes a 219 amino acids protein that contains the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) domain homologous to that of vertebrate and invertebrate Tal1/SCL. Phylogenetic analyses sustained that
Cg-Tal belongs to this family of bHLH transcription factors. Northern blot analysis of
Cg-tal mRNA expression in adult oyster tissues indicated that
Cg-ta1 was specifically expressed in hemocytes, in a constitutive manner. In vertebrates, activation of Tal1/SCL expression is essential for the initiation of hematopoiesis and the formation of hematopoietic stem cells. Considering Tal1/SCL function in vertebrates,
Cg-Tal is likely to constitute a promising tool for studying hematopoiesis in oyster.