Expression of zebrafish ROR alpha gene in cerebellar-like structures.

Mouse genetic studies have identified several genes involved in cerebellar development. The mouse mutants staggerer and lurcher are functionally deficient for the retinoid-related orphan receptor alpha (ROR alpha) and glutamate receptor delta2 (Grid2) genes, respectively, and they show similar functional and developmental abnormalities in the cerebellum. Here, we report the cloning and expression pattern of zebrafish ROR alpha orthologues rora1 and rora2, and compare their expression pattern with that of grid2.