鲤鱼两个cGnRH-Ⅱ基因的发现及其在成熟个体的表达分析

促性腺激素释放激素(GnRH)是一个保守的神经十肽家族, 在调节脊椎动物的性腺发育和控制性成熟中起至关重要的作用. 用RACE和RT-PCR方法, 从鲤鱼脑组织克隆得到两个差异的cGnRH-Ⅱ cDNAs序列, 其长度分别为622, 578 bp. 两个cDNA编码的cGnRH-Ⅱ前体均为86个氨基酸, 包括一个信号肽、cGnRH-Ⅱ十肽和一个由蛋白水解位点(Gly-Lys-Arg)连接的GnRH相关肽. 内含子捕获和Southern杂交证实鲤鱼基因组中有两个cGnRH-Ⅱ编码基因, 且两个基因都可能以单拷贝形式存在. 鲤鱼cGnRH-Ⅱ的多基因编码现象为“基因复制”理论提供了新的证据. 采用半定量的RT-PCR分析了两个cGnRH-Ⅱ基因在鲤鱼成熟个体的脑区、垂体和性腺中的表达及相对表达水平. 表达分析结果表明, 脑区、垂体和性腺都能检测到cGnRH-Ⅱ基因的表达, 但cGnRH-Ⅱ基因在卵巢没有表达是例外, 而表达水平在不同的脑区、垂体和性腺存在差异. 根据两个cGnRH-Ⅱ基因的广泛表达特性, 推测鲤鱼cGnRH-Ⅱ的功能可能主要起神经递质或神经调节剂作用, 同时对促进和调控促性腺激素释放起一定作用, 而在垂体和性腺合成的cGnRH-Ⅱ可能起自分泌和旁分泌调节因子的作用.     

布氏田鼠GnRH基因克隆及不同组织和发育阶段的基因表达特征

促性腺激素释放激素(GnRH)由GnRH编码,是调节动物繁殖活动的核心神经内分泌物质。布氏田鼠Lasiopodomys brandtii是我国内蒙古东部草原区的害鼠之一,具有明显季节性繁殖特征,但其繁殖调控机制仍未完全明确。本研究克隆了来自布氏田鼠下丘脑的GnRH cDNA序列,使用实时荧光定量技术检测了不同组织、不同年龄阶段GnRH mRNA水平。结果表明,克隆获得GnRH cDNA序列497 bp,包含开放阅读框273 bp,编码90个氨基酸和1个终止密码子的GnRH前体。DNA序列比对和氨基酸序列同源性分析表明,布氏田鼠下丘脑GnRH基因属于Ⅰ型,与橙腹田鼠Microtus ochrogaste GnRH1相似性最高。GnRH mRNA在下丘脑、垂体、睾丸、肾上腺、肠、膀胱均有表达。雄鼠血清睾酮水平和雌鼠血清雌二醇水平在出生后8周、36周、80周处于高水平,显著高于4周龄鼠,但除80周龄鼠下丘脑GnRH表达量处于高水平,8周龄、36周龄鼠GnRH表达量与4周龄鼠差异均无统计学意义。推测4周龄鼠下丘脑GnRH受GnRH调节剂的中心抑制,而8周龄、36周龄鼠下丘脑GnRH受性类固醇介导的反馈抑制调控,当年龄增加至80周龄,性类固醇介导的反馈抑制消失或者应答时间延长。本研究结果为探究布氏田鼠繁殖调控规律提供了更多基础资料。     

灵长类月经周期的调控

灵长类月经周期的调控与啮齿类不同,在下丘脑没有促性腺激素释放激素(GnRH)的周期性分泌中枢。排卵前促性腺激素(GTH)峰的出现无需下丘脑活动的增强和GnRH分泌的增加。GnRH对垂体GTH的周期性分泌不起控制作用,只起“允许作用”,起控制作用的是卵巢雌激素。雌二醇作用于垂体促性腺细胞的两个功能池,控制GnRH对它们的作用,完成调节GTH分泌的作用。     

促性腺激素释放激素的结构及其生物学功能

促性腺激素释放激素(GnRH)是下丘脑分泌的十肽激素,是神经、免疫、内分泌三大调节系统互相联系的重要信号分子,对生殖调控具有重要意义.GnRH类似物是近年来应用最广的多肽类激素新药之一.就GnRH及其受体的结构及分布、GnRH在垂体和性腺水平调控生殖的一系列证据、影响GnRH释放的因素等进行了综述,并展望了GnRH研究的发展趋势及应用前景.     

GnRH及其受体在性成熟前后鲇、黄颡鱼脑、垂体和卵巢中的免疫细胞化学定位

用链霉亲和素 -生物素化过氧化物酶复合物 (StreptAvidinBiotin peroxidaseComplex ,SABC)免疫细胞化学方法 ,使用促性腺激素释放激素 (Gonadotropin releasinghormone ,GnRH)以及促性腺激素释放激素受体 (GnRHR) 2种抗血清对性成熟前后的黄颡鱼 (Pelteobagrusfulvidraco)和鲇鱼 (Silurusasotus)的脑、垂体、卵巢中的免疫活性内分泌细胞进行了免疫细胞化学定位。结果表明GnRH和GnRHR免疫活性在两种鱼的各脑区、垂体、卵巢中均有分布 ;两种鱼在性成熟时它们的下丘脑、垂体和卵巢中的GnRH和GnRHR免疫反应细胞数目和免疫反应强度明显高于性成熟前。本文讨论了GnRH、GnRHR直接或间接参与黄颡鱼和鲇鱼性腺发育成熟调节的可能性及形态学证据。可为下丘脑 垂体 性腺轴、神经 内分泌、GnRH功能的多样性等研究领域提供新的形态学依据。     

鲤鱼中Sox9b基因的克隆和表达

Sox9基因是一个重要的转录调控因子,参与性别决定及软骨等多种组织和器官的发育过程。本研究利用简并引物扩增鲤鱼基因组DNA,首次发现在鲤鱼中存在两种形式的Sox9基因。二者在保守盒区编码的氨基酸序列相同,并都存在一个内含子,但内含子序列差异很大,分别长704bp和616bp。在此基础上采用RACE技术克隆了鲤鱼Sox9b基因的5’端和3’端,通过拼接获得了2447bp的全长cDNA序列。编码428个氨基酸。其中96—174位共79个氨基酸为HMG保守盒。将鲤鱼Sox9b基因与三刺鱼等九种动物的氨基酸序列相比较发现。它们的同源性高达75％以上,显示soz9基因在进化中较保守。应用半定量RT—PCR技术对成体鲤鱼不同组织中Sox9b基因的表达进行了分析。结果表明该基因广泛表达,尤以脑及精巢中表达最为丰富。     

卵巢中存在GnRH的mRNA

既往工作表明:促性腺激素释放激素(GnRH)具有多种垂体外作用。它可通过黄体和颗粒细胞上的特异性结合位点调节卵巢功能。由于血液循环中GnRH水平太低不足以与外周位点结合;而且,GnRH拮抗物对去垂体大鼠卵巢功能仍具有调节作用。因此推测卵巢能产生GnRH或GnRH样物质作为旁分泌激素。但是分离纯化这些肽类物质的工作未获得成功。作者在本工作中采用反向转录-聚合酶链锁反应(RT-PCR)     

黄鳝cGnRH-Ⅱ的cDNA克隆与序列分析

促性腺激素释放激素（Conadotropin-releasing hormone,GnRH）是一个保守的十肽神经家族激素,在脊椎动物的性腺发育和繁殖功能的维持方面起着重要的调控作用。本文通过运用RACE和RT-PCR方法,从黄鳝脑组织中克隆得到cGnRH-ⅡcDNA全序列,其核苷酸序列长度为617bp。该cDNA编码的cGnRH-Ⅱ的前体氨基酸序列结构组成与其他物种的cGnRH-Ⅱ前体结构一致,其推导的蛋白前体长度为83个氨基酸,包括一个信号肽、cGnRH-Ⅱ十肽和一个由蛋白水解位点（Gly—Lys—Arg）连接的GnRH联接肽,其中信号肽和联接肽的长度分别为21和49个氨基酸。cGnRH-Ⅱ的氨基酸序列和其他相关物种cGnRH-Ⅱ氨基酸序列比较结果显示,cGnRH-Ⅱ cDNA的蛋白编码区高度保守,而非编码区的保守性程度很低。     

足月周期的生理调控

下丘脑－垂体－卵巢轴直接调控月经周期,三者之间通过促性腺激素与卵轩体激素对下丘脑,垂体产生的反馈机制产生生理性周期变化,卵巢局部产生众多的肽关因子形成卵巢内自分泌／社分泌调节系统,参与垂体促性腺激素性腺内作用机制的调迭。     

月经周期的生理调控

下丘脑-垂体-卵巢轴直接调控月经周期,三者之间通过促性腺激素与卵巢甾体激素对下丘脑、垂体产生的反馈机制产生生理性周期变化,卵巢局部产生众多的肽类因子形成卵巢内自分泌／旁分泌调节系统,参与垂体促性腺激素性腺内作用机制的调控。     

Cloning and expression analysis in mature individuals of two chicken type-Ⅱ GnRH (cGnRH-Ⅱ) genes in common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), the pivotal signal molecular of hypothalamic-pituitary- gonad (HPG) axis, plays a crucial role in gonadal de-velopment and maintenance of reproduction function of vertebrates by stimulating the anterior pituitary re-leasing gonadotropin (GtH). Mammal GnRH (mGn- RH) was firstly identified from porcine and ovine in the 1970s[1,2], which was originally named luteinizing hormone releasing hormone, viz LHRH. To date, 16 GnRH variants have been characte…     

Cloning and characterization of cDNAs encoding the GnRH1 and GnRH2 precursors from bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

We have isolated the cDNAs encoding the GnRH1 and GnRH2 precursors, respectively, from bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) brain. The first cDNA consists of 648 bp and contains an open-reading frame of 270 nucleotides, encoding the bullfrog GnRH1 precursor. The second cDNA consists of 1053 bp and contains an open-reading frame of 255 nucleotides, encoding the bullfrog GnRH2 precursor. Both types of bullfrog GnRH precursor have a similar molecular architecture as observed in other GnRH precursors, consisting of a signal peptide, followed by the GnRH decapeptide, a conserved carboxy-terminal amidation and proteolytical processing site, and a GnRH-associated peptide (GAP). In addition, we have identified a third cDNA, containing 24 additional nucleotides in its GAP-coding region. Genomic PCR and sequence analysis confirmed that this cDNA represents an alternative splice variant of the bullfrog GnRH2-precursor pre-mRNA. The bullfrog GnRH1 precursor exhibits 60% and less than 40% amino acid identity to its Xenopus and mammalian counterparts, respectively, whereas the bullfrog GnRH2 precursor displays 50% to 60% amino acid identity to that of its nonmammalian counterparts, but shares only 25% amino acid identity with its mammalian counterparts. Northern blot analysis revealed a single GnRH1-precursor mRNA species of approximately 0.75 kilobases, expressed in bullfrog forebrain, and a single GnRH2-precursor mRNA species of approximately 1.1 kilobases, expressed in bullfrog midbrain/hindbrain. Furthermore, both bullfrog GnRH-precursor mRNAs exhibited a differential spatiotemporal expression pattern. Genomic Southern blot analysis indicated that both bullfrog GnRH genes are present as single copy genes. This is the first report on the molecular cloning of a GnRH2-precursor cDNA from an amphibian species. In addition, we present data showing that alternative splicing is utilized to generate different GnRH2-precursor mRNAs. J. Exp. Zool. 289:190-201, 2001.     

Defining global gene expression changes of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in female sGnRH-antisense transgenic common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Background

The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis is critical in the development and regulation of reproduction in fish. The inhibition of neuropeptide gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) expression may diminish or severely hamper gonadal development due to it being the key regulator of the axis, and then provide a model for the comprehensive study of the expression patterns of genes with respect to the fish reproductive system.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In a previous study we injected 342 fertilized eggs from the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) with a gene construct that expressed antisense sGnRH. Four years later, we found a total of 38 transgenic fish with abnormal or missing gonads. From this group we selected the 12 sterile females with abnormal ovaries in which we combined suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) and cDNA microarray analysis to define changes in gene expression of the HPG axis in the present study. As a result, nine, 28, and 212 genes were separately identified as being differentially expressed in hypothalamus, pituitary, and ovary, of which 87 genes were novel. The number of down- and up-regulated genes was five and four (hypothalamus), 16 and 12 (pituitary), 119 and 93 (ovary), respectively. Functional analyses showed that these genes involved in several biological processes, such as biosynthesis, organogenesis, metabolism pathways, immune systems, transport links, and apoptosis. Within these categories, significant genes for neuropeptides, gonadotropins, metabolic, oogenesis and inflammatory factors were identified.

Conclusions/Significance

This study indicated the progressive scaling-up effect of hypothalamic sGnRH antisense on the pituitary and ovary receptors of female carp and provided comprehensive data with respect to global changes in gene expression throughout the HPG signaling pathway, contributing towards improving our understanding of the molecular mechanisms and regulative pathways in the reproductive system of teleost fish.     

Cloning and functional analysis of the proximal promoter region of the three GnRH genes from the silver sea bream (Sparus sarba)

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is a neuropeptide that plays a major role in releasing pituitary gonadotropin and controlling vertebrate reproduction. In this study, three GnRH cDNAs, GnRH-I (sbGnRH; 348 bp), GnRH-II (cGnRH-II; 557 bp), and GnRH-III (sGnRH; 483 bp), were cloned from the brain of the silver sea bream (Sparus sarba). In order to understand how the expression of the GnRH isoforms was regulated in the brain, the promoter of each gene was cloned and analyzed. We found regulatory motifs in the promoters that were conserved in the GnRH promoters of tilapia and zebrafish, suggesting that these motifs play a critical role in GnRH regulation. We performed functional analyses and examined tissue-specific expression for each GnRH promoter using EGFP reporter fusions in zebrafish. The GnRH-I promoter was active in the forebrain area, including the olfactory bulb-terminal nerve area and peripheral preoptic areas; the GnRH-II promoter was active in the midbrain; and the GnRH-III promoter was active in the olfactory bulb. These results show that the GnRH promoters of the silver sea bream GnRH genes exhibit tissue-specific activity.