羚牛苦味受体3(Tas2R3)基因的克隆及生物信息学分析

Tas2R3是苦味受体基因家族中一个重要的成员,为了进一步了解和研究羚牛(Budorcas taxicolor)苦味受体基因的结构和功能,本研究对羚牛苦味受体3 (Tas2R3)基因进行了克隆和生物信息学分析(GenBank登录号:MG650195)。结果显示,羚牛Tas2R3基因编码区(coding sequence, CDS)序列全长951 bp,共编码316个氨基酸,以亮氨酸含量最高,谷氨酰胺含量最低。其蛋白质等电点为9.68,分子量为51.96 kD。高级结构功能预测显示,二级结构以α-螺旋为主,蛋白质为碱性、稳定的亲水性蛋白,由4个胞外区、7个跨膜区和4个胞内区组成。预测到2种类型共8个糖基化功能位点和4种类型共15个磷酸化功能位点。通过比较Tas2R3基因种间相似性发现,在偶蹄目中具有很高的同源性,羚牛与绵羊(Ovis aries)的相似性最高(0.98),与褐家鼠(Rattus norvegicus)最低(0.52)。用羚牛、绵羊等12个物种的Tas2R3基因CDS序列构建的NJ树与ME树结构一致,表明Tas2R3基因适合用于构建不同物种间的系统进化树。     

猪獾苦味受体T2R2基因的分子克隆与进化分析

苦味的感知是机体有效的自我保护机制之一。文章采用PCR和克隆测序方法首次从猪獾基因组中获得一全长为1 169 bp的苦味受体T2R2基因DNA序列(GenBank登录号: FJ812727)。该序列含有完整的1个外显子(无内含子), 大小为915 bp, 编码304个氨基酸残基。其蛋白质等电点为9.76, 分子量为34.74 kDa。拓扑结构预测显示猪獾T2R2蛋白上含有N-糖基化位点、N-肉豆蔻酰化位点各1个, 蛋白激酶C磷酸化位点2个。整个蛋白质多肽链含有7个跨膜螺旋区, 4个细胞外区和4个细胞内区。亲水性/疏水性分析表明, 猪獾T2R2蛋白质为一疏水性蛋白, 其亲水性区段所占比例较小。种间相似性比较显示, 猪獾T2R2基因与犬、猫、牛、马、黑猩猩和小鼠的T2R2基因cDNA序列相似性分别为91.4%、90.6%、84.4%、85.4%、83.8%、72.1%, 氨基酸序列相似性分别为85.5%、85.8%、74.0%、77.6%、75.3%、61.5%。核苷酸替换计算和选择性检验结果表明, 猪獾T2R2基因与犬、猫、牛、马、黑猩猩和小鼠间存在着强烈的纯净化选择(Purifying selection), 即强烈的功能束缚(Functional constraint), 进一步分析发现该选择作用实际上主要存在于跨膜区。猪獾、犬、猫、牛、马、黑猩猩和小鼠的T2R2基因外显子核苷酸序列构建的基因树与其物种树的拓扑结构是相一致的, 表明T2R2基因适合于构建不同物种间的系统进化树。     

苦味受体与甜味、鲜味受体具有不同的进化途径

通过生物信息学和系统发育学分析,研究了苦味受体和甜味／鲜味受体的进化途径。结果显示,苦味受体和甜味／鲜味受体在进化上具有远相关,并且具有不同的进化途径,提示这可能是导致这些受体具有不同功能,传导不同味觉的原因。     

大熊猫苦味受体T2R2基因的克隆与序列分析

Based on bitter taste receptor T2R2 gene sequence of domesticated dog(AB249685), one pair of primers were designed and used to amplify an approximately 1.1 kb DNA fragment from genomic DNA sample of giant panda by using PCR. The PCR products were ligated into the pMD-18T vector, and then transformed into competent cells of E.coli DH5α. The identified positive clone was sequenced. The result showed that the T2R2 gene of giant panda was 1 008 bp in length, and contained complete exon, and 915 bp, encoding 304...     

灵长类比较基因组学的研究进展

随着人类和黑猩猩全基因组测序工作宣布完成,以及其他灵长类基因组测序工作的逐步开展,目前已经积累了大量的灵长类基因组数据,一个崭新的研究领域——灵长类比较基因组学应运而生。该文主要通过对人类和其他非人灵长类系统关系和基因组结构的比较,从系统进化、基因组结构和基因表达调控等方面评述该领域的研究进展,阐述人类、黑猩猩与其他非人灵长类之间的主要生物学差异,揭示人类进化的生物学机制。     

灵长类主要组织相容性复合体Ⅰ类基因进化概述

主要组织相容性复合体（MHC）是和免疫反应直接相关的基因群。MHC I类分子的多态性和病原体的多变性相对应,它是个体在重大传染疾病中存活下来的重要依据。在灵长类动物进化过程中,由于分化时间的差异和生存压力的不同,造成了各物种MHC I类基因不同的存在状态,使它们的MHC I 类基因在基因数量和基因功能上有所差异,同时还产生了物种特异性基因。本文描述了灵长类MHC I类基因的总体变化特征,并着重讨论了6个典型MHC I 类基因在各典型灵长类物种中的特点及关联性。     

非人灵长类胚胎工程研究进展

由于非人灵长类动物与人类在进化上的亲缘关系和生理特征上的高度相似,它们在人类传染病、生殖、发育、代谢、神经和衰老等研究领域具有重要的应用价值。现对非人灵长类动物的常见胚胎工程技术进行综述,包括非人灵长类动物的配子收集、体外受精和胚胎移植等;同时,还结合基因组编辑技术的发展,简要介绍了近年来胚胎工程技术在非人灵长类动物基因编辑方面的应用。     

基因组水平蝙蝠嗅觉受体基因的分子进化

翼手目动物（俗称蝙蝠）的食性分化显著,不同食性的蝙蝠具有显著不同的嗅球大小。为了研究嗅觉是否影响了蝙蝠食性的进化,我们利用网上已公布的10种蝙蝠基因组的数据,通过同源比对的方法鉴定出所有的嗅觉受体基因,并进行嗅觉受体基因亚家族的分类,进而比较嗅觉受体基因亚家族的数目差异。结果显示,蝙蝠的嗅觉受体基因与其它哺乳动物一样,都可以分为13个单系起源的亚家族;在Yinpterochiroptera亚目中,OR1/3/7、OR2/13、OR5/8/9等3个嗅觉受体亚家族在食果蝙蝠中均发生了不同程度的扩张,基因数目显著地多于食虫蝙蝠,提示嗅觉在食果蝙蝠取食过程中具有重要的作用。因此,本研究在基因组水平上重现了蝙蝠嗅觉受体基因的进化历史,揭示了3个嗅觉受体基因亚家族的功能可能与食果蝙蝠的食性相关,突出了嗅觉对动物食性的重要作用.     

嗅觉受体基因的研究进展

嗅觉在动物的生命活动中起着重要的作用, 与嗅觉相关的基因主要是嗅觉受体(Olfactory receptor, OR)基因。文章介绍了嗅觉受体基因的结构、表达调控、分布、分子进化及其多态性研究进展, 并讨论了该基因与嗅觉功能和嗅觉障碍的关系。     

孕酮受体基因的研究进展

摘要: 孕酮作为一种甾体激素, 在各种雌性哺乳动物生殖活动中起关键作用。在人类和其他脊椎动物中, 孕酮的生物活性主要是通过两个孕酮受体PGR-A和PGR-B转录活性的调节来介导。文章介绍了孕酮受体基因的结构、表达调控和多态性, 并讨论了该基因与哺乳动物生殖功能的关系。     

The human bitter taste receptor hTAS2R39 is the primary receptor for the bitterness of theaflavins

We purified several hundred mgs of four major theaflavins (theaflavin, theaflavin-3-O-gallate, theaflavin-3′-O-gallate, and theaflavin-3,3′-O-digallate). Among the 25 hTAS2Rs expressed in HEK293T cells, hTAS2R39 and hTAS2R14 were activated by theaflavins. Both hTAS2R39 and hTAS2R14 responded to theaflavin-3′-O-gallate. In addition, hTAS2R39 was activated by theaflavin and theaflavin-3,3′-O-gallate, but not by theaflavin-3-O-gallate. In contrast, hTAS2R14 responded to theaflavin-3-O-gallate.     

Vampire bats exhibit evolutionary reduction of bitter taste receptor genes common to other bats

The bitter taste serves as an important natural defence against the ingestion of poisonous foods and is thus believed to be indispensable in animals. However, vampire bats are obligate blood feeders that show a reduced behavioural response towards bitter-tasting compounds. To test whether bitter taste receptor genes (T2Rs) have been relaxed from selective constraint in vampire bats, we sampled all three vampire bat species and 11 non-vampire bats, and sequenced nine one-to-one orthologous T2Rs that are assumed to be functionally conserved in all bats. We generated 85 T2R sequences and found that vampire bats have a significantly greater percentage of pseudogenes than other bats. These results strongly suggest a relaxation of selective constraint and a reduction of bitter taste function in vampire bats. We also found that vampire bats retain many intact T2Rs, and that the taste signalling pathway gene Calhm1 remains complete and intact with strong functional constraint. These results suggest the presence of some bitter taste function in vampire bats, although it is not likely to play a major role in food selection. Together, our study suggests that the evolutionary reduction of bitter taste function in animals is more pervasive than previously believed, and highlights the importance of extra-oral functions of taste receptor genes.     

Browning Reaction between Phospholipids and Acetaldehyde

Tea catechins have strong bitterness and influence the taste of tea. Among the 25 human bitter-taste receptors (TAS2Rs), we found that hTAS2R14 responded to catechins, in addition to hTAS2R39, a known catechin receptor. Although hTAS2R14 responded to (?)-epicatechin gallate and (?)-epigallocatechin gallate, it did not respond to (?)-epicatechin and (?)-epigallocatechin.     

Human Bitter Taste Receptors hTAS2R8 and hTAS2R39 with Differential Functions to Recognize Bitter Peptides

The strong bitter peptide, Phe-Phe-Pro-Arg, activated cultured cells expressing either of the known human bitter taste receptors, hTAS2R8 and hTAS2R39. The partial structure of Pro-Arg activated hTAS2R39, but did not activate hTAS2R8. These receptors may not indiscriminately recognize bitter peptides, but have a differential function in their recognition.     

Contrasting modes of evolution between vertebrate sweet/umami receptor genes and bitter receptor genes

Taste reception is fundamental to diet selection in many animals. The genetic basis underlying the evolution and diversity of taste reception, however, is not well understood. Recent discoveries of T1R sweet/umami receptor genes and T2R bitter receptor genes in humans and mice provided an opportunity to address this question. Here, we report the identification of 20 putatively functional T1R genes and 167 T2R genes from the genome sequences of nine vertebrates, including three fishes, one amphibian, one bird, and four mammals. Our comparative genomic analysis shows that orthologous T1R sequences are relatively conserved in evolution and that the T1R gene repertoire remains virtually constant in size across most vertebrates, except for the loss of the T1R2 sweet receptor gene in the sweet-insensitive chicken and the absence of all T1R genes in the tongueless western clawed frog. In contrast, orthologous T2R sequences are more variable, and the T2R repertoire diverges tremendously among species, from only three functional genes in the chicken to 49 in the frog. These evolutionary patterns suggest the relative constancy in the number and type of sweet and umami tastants encountered by various vertebrates or low binding specificities of T1Rs but a large variation in the number and type of bitter compounds detected by different species. Although the rate of gene duplication is much lower in T1Rs than in T2Rs, signals of positive selection are detected during the functional divergences of paralogous T1Rs, as was previously found among paralogous T2Rs. Thus, functional divergence and specialization of taste receptors generally occurred via adaptive evolution.