Growth/differentiation factor-11: an evolutionary conserved growth factor in vertebrates.

Growth and differentiation factor-11 (GDF-11) is a member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily and is thought to be derived together with myostatin (known also as GDF-8) from an ancestral gene. In the present study, we report the isolation and characterization of GDF-11 homolog from a marine teleost, the gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata, and show that this growth factor is highly conserved throughout vertebrates. Using bioinformatics, we identified GDF-11 in Tetraodon, Takifugu, medaka, and stickleback and found that they are highly conserved at the amino acid sequence as well as gene organization.

Identification of a novel transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta6) gene in fish: regulation in skeletal muscle by nutritional state.

Background: The transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) family constitutes of dimeric proteins that regulate the growth, differentiation and metabolism of many cell types, including that of skeletal muscle in mammals. The potential role of TGF-betas in fish muscle growth is not known.

Results: Here we report the molecular characterization, developmental and tissue expression and regulation by nutritional state of a novel TGF-beta gene from a marine fish, the gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata.