HMG-box sequences from microbats homologous to the human SOX30 HMG-box*

SOX genes are a family of genes that encode for proteins which are characterised by the presence of a HMG-domain related to that of the mammalian sex-determining gene (SRY). By definition, the DNA binding domain of SOX genes is at least 50% identical to the 79 amino acid HMG domain of the SRY gene. We report here two HMG-box sequences from two microbat species (R. ferrumequinum and P. Pipistrellus) which were PCR amplified using a primer pair specific to the mouse Sry HMG-box. The high percentage of identity of this sequences with the human and mouse SOX30 HMG-box suggests that they are the SOX30 HMG-box for these two bat species. The sequencing data reported in this paper are available in the EMBL Nucleotide Sequence Database through the following accession numbers: Pipistrellus pipistrellus SOX30 gene: AJ243292; Rhinolophus ferrumequinum SOX30 gene: AJ243293. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

中华鳖4个Sox基因保守区的序列分析

采用PCR技术,扩增和克隆了中华鳖Sox基因（TSSox）。经DNA序列分析显示,Sox基因在系统进化上十分保守,其中TSSox4与鸟类LF4基因编码的氨基酸序列完全相同、与人类SOX4和Sox4编码的序列仅一个氨基酸的差异;TSSox5与鸟类的LF5基因的编码也仅一个氨基酸发生了改变;TSSox2与海龟的TSox2相似性最高。4条TSSox序列中,TSSox与人SRY基因序列相似性最高,达75％;序列上的相似性可能暗示了它们在功能上的保守性。     

Extreme evolutionary conservation of CaSox4 gene in alligator Alligator sinensis

The SOX genes form a gene family related by homology to the high-mobility-group (HMG) box region of the testis-determining gene, SRY. Using degenerate primer PCR, we have cloned and sequenced the HMG-box motif of CaSox4 gene from genomic DNA of the Chinese alligator, Alligator sinensis, a species closely related to American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis. Sequence comparison showed that CaSox4 gene shared 97% homology at the nucleotide level and complete identity at the amino acid level, respectively, with AES4 gene of Alligator mississippiensis. It indicates that the Sox4 gene has been extremely conserved during evolution. The result obtained in the present study strongly suggests that the Sox4 gene did not diverge during the differentiation of two closely related alligators, which are thought to have originated from a common ancestor and have existed largely unchanged for 200-250 Myr.     

虎纹蛙四个Sox基因的克隆及序列分析

参照人SRY基因HMG－box保守区的序列,设计一对兼并引物,扩增了虎纹蛙的Sox基因,并对扩增产物进行了克隆和测序。结果在雌雄个体中共筛选出四个不同的Sox基因,其序列与人相应SOX基因的相似性分别为92％、94％、985和98％。本研究为探索虎纹蛙的性别决定机制提供了分子资料。     

赤链蛇Sox基因的克隆及序列分析

参照人SRY基因HMG-box保守区的序列,设计一对兼并引物,采用PCR技术扩增了赤链蛇的Sox基因,并对扩增产物进行了克隆和测序,结果在雌雄个体中共筛选出三个Sox基因,其中有一个为雌雄共有,显示出性别差异性;三个Sox基因编码的氨基酸序列与人相应SOX3,SOX4,SOX22基因的相似性分别为96%,98%,96%。显示出Sox基因在进化上的高度保守性,本文为赤链蛇的性别决定机制研究提供了分子资料。     

扬子鳄的CaSox4基因的分子克隆和进化分析

The completely identical HMG-box motif of CaSox4 gene from both male and female genomic DNA of the Chinese alligator (alligator sinensis) was cloned and sequenced by degenerate primer PCR.Compared with the human and mouse SRY,CaSox4 revealed 51% and 57% nucleotide homology respectively and 49% and 55% amino acid identity respectively,CaSox4 belongs to subgroup C of the Sox gene family.The GC content is 86% in the HMG-box region of the CaSox4 gene,Blast analysis showed that the CaSox4 gene shares 100^ amino acid identity with human Sox4.bird SoxLF4,turtle Sra4 and lizard CvSox4 genes.Casox4 may be orthologous with the human SOx4 gene.This indicates that CaSox4 gene shows the remarkable evolutionary conservation during the evolution of Alligator Sinensis,The extensive sequence conservation of the Sox4 gene between reptiles,mammals and birds suggests major functional constraints[Acta Zoologica Sinica 49(3):404-407,2003].     

东北虎中五个Sox基因的保守区序列分析(英文)

在哺乳动物中,Y染色体决定着雄性性别,这是由于在其短臂上存在一个编码睾丸决定因子 (TDF) 的基因。1990年,人们克隆了睾丸决定因子基因并命名为SRY。序列分析表明SRY基因中存在一个保守区,与染色体高迁移率组 (HMG) 蛋白质上的DNA结合结构域具有一定的相似性。基于HMG基序的保守性人们发现了一个新的基因家族Sox基因家族。凡是在HMG区域与SRY基因具有50%以上相似性的基因被称为Sox基因。Sox基因在早期胚胎发育过程中参与多种发育途径,具有重要的作用。参与诸如性别决定、骨组织的发育、血细胞生成过程、神经系统的发育、晶状体的发育等多种早期胚胎发育过程。 虎(Panthera tigris)作为世界上最濒危的兽类之一,东北虎(Panthera tigris altaica Temminck)是其中的一个亚种,被列为一类珍稀动物。本文对其发育基因家族—SOX基因进行了研究。 利用肌肉组织为材料制备基因组DNA, 应用特异于HMG-box区域的兼并引物, 扩增了东北虎的SOX基因。在扩增产物中发现一条220bp的扩增带。经过克隆与序列测定和同源性检索,发现5个基因片段(Fig.1&2)。其与人SRY基因的相似性分别为75%、56%、51%、67% 和48%;与小鼠Sry基因的相似性分别为73%、54%、57%、66% 和 48% (Table 1)。因此这5个DNA片段为东北虎的5个Sox基因片     

Sheep gene mapping: assignment of ALDOB, CYP19, WT and SOX2 by somatic cell hybrid analysis

Twenty-four hamster-sheep hybrid cell lines representing eleven ovine synteny groups were used to make syntenic assignments for seven loci ALDOB (aldolase B, fructose biphosphate); AMH (anti-Müllerian hormone); CYP19 [cytochrome P₄₅₀ aromatase, subfamily XIX (aromatization of androgens)]; WT (Wilms' tumour gene); SOX2 (SRY-related HMG-box gene 2); FSHB (follicle-stimulating hormone, beta polypeptide); and SRY (sex region of Y chromosome). These loci were assigned to synteny groups U11(chr2) ( ALDOB ); U19 ( AMH ); U3(chr7) ( CYP19 ); and to chromosomes 15 ( WT ) and 1 ( SOX2 ). SRY defines the hybrids containing the Y chromosome.     

Comparative genomics of the SOX9 region in human and Fugu rubripes: conservation of short regulatory sequence elements within large intergenic regions.

Campomelic dysplasia (CD), a human skeletal malformation syndrome with XY sex reversal, is caused by heterozygous mutations in and around the gene SOX9. SOX9 has an extended 5' control region, as indicated by CD translocation breakpoints scattered over 1 Mb proximal to SOX9 and by expression data from mice transgenic for human SOX9-spanning yeast artificial chromosomes. To identify long-range regulatory elements within the SOX9 5' control region, we compared approximately 3.7 Mb and 195 kb of sequence around human and Fugu rubripes SOX9, respectively. We identified only seven and five protein-coding genes in the human and F. rubripes sequences, respectively. Four of the F. rubripes genes have been mapped in humans; all reside on chromosome 17 but show extensive intrachromosomal gene shuffling compared with the gene order in F. rubripes. In both species, very large intergenic distances separate SOX9 from its directly flanking genes: 2 Mb and 500 kb on either side of SOX9 in humans, and 68 and 97 kb on either side of SOX9 in F. rubripes. Comparative sequence analysis of the intergenic regions revealed five conserved elements, E1-E5, up to 290 kb 5' to human SOX9 and up to 18 kb 5' to F. rubripes SOX9, and three such elements, E6-E8, 3' to SOX9. Where available, mouse sequences confirm conservation of the elements. From the yeast artificial chromosome transgenic data, elements E3-E5 are candidate enhancers for SOX9 expression in limb and vertebral column, and 8 of 10 CD translocation breakpoints separate these elements from SOX9.     

Human SOX11, an upregulated gene during the neural differentiation, has a long 3' untranslated region.

To obtain essential genes for neuronal development, we have performed a molecular indexing method using a human teratocarcinoma cell line, NTera-2. We isolated a cDNA fragment, designated B18, as an upregulated gene during the neural differentiation. From the complete cDNA sequence of B18 it was revealed that this cDNA was the human SOX11 gene. While a previous report has determined only a approximately 2 kb of the SOX11 cDNA including the entire open reading frame, our full length cDNA was 8743 bp possessing a long 3' untranslated region. Human SOX11 cDNA was mapped to chromosome region 2p25.3 between markers AFMA070WC9 and WI-1412 by radiation hybrid mapping.     

SOX genes: architects of development.

Development in higher organisms involves complex genetic regulation at the molecular level. The emerging picture of development control includes several families of master regulatory genes which can affect the expression of down-stream target genes in developmental cascade pathways. One new family of such development regulators is the SOX gene family. The SOX genes are named for a shared motif called the SRY box a region homologous to the DNA-binding domain of SRY, the mammalian sex determining gene. Like SRY, SOX genes play important roles in chordate development. At least a dozen human SOX genes have been identified and partially characterized (Tables 1 and 2). Mutations in SOX9 have recently been linked to campomelic dysplasia and autosomal sex reversal, and other SOX genes may also be associated with human disease.