Molecular cloning and expression analysis of tyr and tyrp1 genes in normal and albino yellow catfish Tachysurus fulvidraco |
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| Authors: | Y Y Chen Z C Shi L K Liu J Li G R Zhang W Ji |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China;2. Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China;3. Department of Aquatic Animal Medicines, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China;4. Hubei Engineering Technology Research Center for Aquatic Animal Diseases Control and Prevention, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China |
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| Abstract: | The full‐length complementary DNA of two genes related to vertebrate albinism, the tyrosinase gene tyr and tyrosinase‐related protein 1 gene tyrp1, were cloned and analysed from normal and albino yellow catfish Tachysurus fulvidraco. The open reading frames (ORF) of tyr and tyrp1 encode putative peptides of 533 and 526 amino acids (amino‐acid), both of which possess two conserved copper binding sites. The homologous identities of deduced amino‐acid sequences showed that both Tyr and Tyrp1 of T. fulvidraco share considerable similarity with that of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. Both tyr and tyrp1 were expressed in a wide range of adult tissues. Tyr gene had the highest expression level in the brain of both normal and albino T. fulvidraco. Tyrp1 had the highest expression level in the skin of normal groups, and the fin of albino groups. The messenger (m)RNA expressions of tyr and tyrp1 were detectable at different early developmental stages and varied with embryonic and larval growth. Tyr and tyrp1 mRNA have obvious tissue specificity both in normal and albino T. fulvidraco and higher expression levels were detected in the normal group revealing that tyr and tyrp1 may have an important role in pigmentation. These results will provide useful data for understanding the molecular mechanism of melanin formation and the occurrence of albinism in T. fulvidraco. |
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| Keywords: | albinism gene expression melanin Tachysurus fulvidraco tyr tyrp1 |
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