Zebrafish Hsp40 and Hsc70 genes are both induced during caudal fin regeneration

We report the characterization of a zebrafish DnaJ-like protein, homologue to the human Hsp40 protein hdj1, that we named zf-Hsp40. We have studied it s expression during fin regeneration and we show that zf-Hsp40 mRNA level i s drastically increased in all ray segments beneath the regenerated part, o r blastema, in response to caudal fin amputation. In order to investigate w hether zf-Hsp40 is part of a stress response system after injury, we studie d the expression of the zebrafish Hsc70 transcript. Our results show a corr elation between the expression of the two transcripts. (C) 2000 Elsevier Sc ience Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.