Sex change strategy and the aromatase genes

Sequential hermaphroditism is a common reproductive strategy in many teleosts. Steroid production is known to mediate both the natural and induced sex change, yet beyond this the physiology directing this process has received little attention. Cytochrome P450 aromatase is a key enzyme in the hormonal pathway catalysing the conversion of sex steroids, androgens to oestrogens, and thus is highly relevant to the process of sex change. This study reports the isolation of cDNA sequences for aromatase isoforms CYP19A1 and CYP19A2 from teleost species representing three forms of sexual hermaphroditism: Lates calcarifer (protandry), Cromileptes altivelis (protogyny), and Gobiodon histrio (bi-directional). Deduced amino acid analysis of these isoforms with other reported isoforms from gonochoristic (single sex) teleosts revealed 56–95% identity within the same isoform while only 48–65% identity between isoforms irrespective of species and sexual strategy. Phylogenetic analysis supported this result separating sequences into isoform exclusive clades in spite of species apparent evolutionary distance. Furthermore, this study isolates 5′ flanking regions of all above genes and describes putative cis-acting elements therein. Elements identified include steroidogenic factor 1 binding site (SF-1), oestrogen response element (ERE), progesterone response element (PRE), androgen response element (ARE), glucocorticoid response elements (GRE), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor /retinoid X receptor heterodimer responsive element (PPAR/RXR), nuclear factor kappaβ (NF-kappaβ), SOX 5, SOX 9, and Wilms tumor suppressor (WTI). A hypothetical in vivo model was constructed for both isoforms highlighting potential roles of these putative cis-acting elements with reference to normal function and sexual hermaphroditism.     

大麦NF-YC基因鉴定及在盐胁迫下的表达分析

核因子Y (NF-Y)是由NF-YA、NF-YB和NF-YC三个亚基组成的一类真核细胞转录因子,主要参与植物生长发育调控和非生物胁迫信号传递。该研究利用生物信息学方法解析了大麦(Hordeum vulgare) NF-YC基因家族功能。首先,基于大麦基因组数据库鉴定出11个HvNF-YC成员,分布在除第2号染色体以外的其余6条染色体上,内含子0–5个。系统进化分析显示,大麦、拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)和水稻(Oryza sativa) NF-YC基因家族成员可分为5个亚家族。基因复制分析显示, 6个HvNF-YC基因存在片段复制,3个HvNF-YC基因存在串联复制。启动子顺式作用元件分析显示,大多数HvNF-YC基因启动子含有与非生物胁迫及激素响应相关的顺式作用元件。对HvNF-YC家族成员在不同组织不同时期的表达模式分析表明,不同成员的时空表达存在明显差异,其中HvNF-YC9和HvNF-YC11可能在籽粒发育初期发挥重要作用。通过分析耐盐型和盐敏感型大麦品种根和叶中HvNF-YC表达量变化,发现HvNF-YC3、HvNF-YC6和HvNF-YC10主要在盐胁...     

The relative content of oocyte and somatic 5S rRNA at different stages of embryonic development as an index of the replacement of maternal ribosomes by ribosomes of the embryo in the loach

Relative content of the oocyte and somatic 5S rRNA in loach Misgurnus fossilis L. during development was determined electrophoretically. Embryos before hatching contain 70% and swimming larvae no less than 50% of the oocyte 5S rRNA. We assume that the relative content of 5S rRNA fractions reflects the proportion between ribosomes synthesized during oogenesis and those synthesized in embryos and larvae. We calculated using previous data (Timofeeva, Kafiani, 1964) the rates of maternal ribosome decay and ribosome synthesis in the embryo. During organogenesis these rates appear to be 1.17-1.09 x 10(6) and 1.7 x 10(6) molecules/sec per embryo, respectively.     

Cloning and identification of the promoter of the tobacco Sar8.2b gene,a gene involved in systemic acquired resistance

Expression of the Sar8.2 gene family is induced by salicylic acid (SA) in tobacco during induction of systemic acquired resistance. Expression of Sar8.2b, one member of this 12-member family, was detected as early as 12 h after treatment with SA and was maximal 36 h after SA treatment. In NahG transgenic tobacco plants, benzothiadiazole and dichloroisonicotinic acid induced expression of Sar8.2b but SA did not, suggesting that expression of the Sar8.2b gene is SA-dependent. Several putative cis-acting elements were found in the Sar8.2b gene promoter region, including an as-1 element and GT-1 and Dof binding sequences. We constructed a series of progressive deletion mutations in the Sar8.2b promoter region linked to the β-glucuronidase (GUS) coding region and analyzed GUS activities by stable expression in transformants of Arabidopsis thaliana. Deletions between −728 and −927 bp or between −351 and −197 bp of the promoter region resulted in a significant reduction in GUS activity induced by SA treatment as shown in stable transformants of A. thaliana. The −197 bp fragment of the promoter region was found to confer a relatively low level of GUS activity induced by SA treatment in stable expression of transformants in A. thaliana. The results suggest that 927 bp of the Sar8.2b gene promoter confers full promoter activity and that cis-acting elements required for high-level SA-inducible expression of the Sar8.2b gene may exist within the regions −728 to −927 bp and −197 to −351 bp.     

绿色杜氏藻不同β-胡萝卜素羟化酶基因家族胁迫应答模式研究

β-胡萝卜素羟化酶(β-carotenoid hydroxylase, CHYB)是植物类胡萝卜素生物合成途径中的一个重要限速酶。本研究对绿色杜氏藻转录组测序数据进行分析,获得2条β-胡萝卜素羟化酶家族基因chyb1和chyb2。采用染色体步移法分别克隆并获得了绿色杜氏藻chyb1和chyb2基因的启动子序列,全长分别为1080 bp(GenBank登录号：KY012338)和1155 bp (GenBank登录号：KY012339)。利用Plantcare软件分析两个启动子的顺式作用元件,结果表明绿色杜氏藻chyb1基因启动子含有与甲基茉莉酸、花生四烯酸、水杨酸等非生物胁迫相关的顺式作用元件,而绿色杜氏藻chyb2基因启动子含有与光照相关的顺式作用元件。通过qRT-PCR分析了绿色杜氏藻CHYB基因家族在不同胁迫下的基因表达水平,结果表明该基因家族的基因表达水平与启动子调控相关,且不同的家族基因应答不同的胁迫。