Genomic structure and expression of the soluble guanylyl cyclase alpha2 subunit gene in the medaka fish Oryzias latipes

A cDNA clone encoding the soluble guanylyl cyclase alpha2 subunit was isolated from medaka fish (Oryzias latipes) and designated as OlGCS-alpha2. The OlGCS-alpha2 cDNA was 3,192 bp in length and the open reading frame (ORF) encodes a protein of 805 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence has high similarity to that of the mammalian alpha2 subunit gene except for the N-terminal regulatory domain. The C-terminal 5 amino acids, "RETSL", which have been reported to interact with the post synaptic density protein (PSD)-95 were conserved. An RNase protection assay with adult fish organs showed that OlGCS-alpha2 was expressed mainly in the brain and testis. The complete nucleotide sequence (about 41 kbp) of the OlGCS-alpha2 genomic DNA clone isolated from a medaka fish BAC library indicated that the OlGCS-alpha2 gene consisted of 9 exons and 8 introns. The 5'-flanking region and larger introns, such as introns 1, 4, and 7, contained the several fragments conserved in the nucleotide sequences of Rex6 (non-long terminal repeat retrotransposon), MHC class I genomic region, and OlGC1, the medaka fish homolog of the mammalian guanylyl cyclase B gene. Linkage analysis on the medaka fish chromosome demonstrated that the OlGCS-alpha2 gene was mapped to LG13; this mapping position was different from those for the OlGCS-alpha1 and OlGCS-beta1 genes (LG1).     

Expression of membrane-bound and soluble guanylyl cyclase mRNAs in embryonic and adult retina of the medaka fish Oryzias latipes

Localization of mRNAs for four membrane-bound guanylyl cyclases (membrane GCs; OlGC3, OlGC4, OlGC5, and OlGC-R2), three soluble guanylyl cyclase subunits (soluble GC; OlGCS-alpha(1), OlGCS-alpha(2), and OlGCS-beta(1)), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), and cGMP-dependent protein kinase I (cGK I) was examined in the embryonic and adult retinas of the medaka fish Oryzias latipes by in situ hybridization. All of the membrane GC mRNAs were detected in the photoreceptor cells of the adult and embryonic retinas, but in different parts; the OlGC3 and OlGC5 mRNAs were expressed in the proximal part and the OlGC4 and OlGC-R2 mRNAs were expressed in the outer nuclear layer. The mRNA for nNOS was expressed in a scattered fashion on the inner side of the inner nuclear layer in the adult and embryonic retinas. The mRNAs (OlGCS-alpha(2) and OlGCS- beta(1)) of two soluble GC subunits (alpha(2) and beta(1)) were expressed mainly in the inner nuclear layer and the ganglion cell layer of the embryonic retina while the mRNAs of the soluble GC alpha(1) subunit and cGK I were not detected in either the adult or embryonic retina. These results suggest that NO itself and/or the cGMP generated by soluble GC (alpha(2)/beta(1) heterodimer) play a novel role in the neuronal signaling and neuronal development in the medaka fish embryonic retina in addition to the role played by phototransduction through membrane GCs in the adult and embryonic retinas.