Novel Rana keratin genes and their expression during larval to adult epidermal conversion in bullfrog tadpoles

The conversion of the larval to adult epidermis during metamorphosis of tadpoles of bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, was investigated utilizing newly cloned Rana keratin cDNAs as probes. Rana larval keratin (RLK) cDNA (rlk) was cloned using highly specific antisera against Xenopus larval keratin (XLK). Tail skin proteins of bullfrog tadpoles were separated by 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis and subjected to Western blot analysis with anti-XLK antisera. The Rana antigen detected by this method was sequenced and identified as a type II keratin. We cloned rlk from tadpole skin by PCR utilizing primers designed from these peptide sequences of RLK. RLK predicted by nucleotide sequences of rlk was a 549 amino acid -long type II keratin. Subtractive cloning between the body and the tail skin of bullfrog tadpole yielded a cDNA (rak) of Rana adult keratin (RAK). RAK was a 433 amino acid-long type I keratin. We also cloned a Rana keratin 8 (RK8) cDNA (rk8) from bullfrog tadpole epidermis. RK8 was 502 amino acid-long and homologous to cytokeratin 8. Northern blot analyses and in situ hybridization experiments showed that rlk was actively expressed through prometamorphosis in larva-specific epidermal cells called skein cells and became completely inactive at the climax stage of metamorphosis and in the adult skin. RAK mRNA was expressed in basal cells of the tadpole epidermis and germinative cells in the adult epidermis. The expression of rlk and rak was down- and up-regulated by thyroid hormone (TH), respectively. In contrast, there was no change in the expression of RK8 during spontaneous and TH-induced metamorphosis. RK8 mRNA was exclusively expressed in apical cells of the larval epidermis. These patterns of keratin gene expression indicated that the expression of keratin genes is differently regulated by TH depending on the type of larval epidermal cells. The present study demonstrated the usefulness of these genes for the study of molecular mechanism of postembryonic epidermal development and differentiation.     

Structure and site of expression of a murine type II hair keratin

We present here a 1770 bp-long cDNA which encodes a murine type II keratin. Sequence comparisons of the keratin with those of various type II keratins expressed in mouse epidermis and internal stratified epithelia reveal that the new keratin is unrelated to epithelial keratins. Rather the structural organization of its amino- and carboxyterminal domains and the high content of cysteine and proline residues in these regions suggest that the keratin represents a murine type II hair keratin. This assumption was confirmed by in situ hybridization which localized the mRNA of the keratin in upper cells of the hair cortex and in suprabasal cells of the central core unit of filiform papillae of the tongue. Hybrid selection analyses revealed that the keratin has a molecular weight of 58 kD. It remains to be seen whether the keratin corresponds to MHb 3 or MHb 4.     

东亚三角涡虫Rab蛋白cDNA序列的克隆与生物信息学分析

通过构建东亚三角涡虫(Dujesia japonica)cDNA文库,随机挑选重组阳性克隆进行测序,对部分序列进行引物步移法测序,获得1个三角涡虫新基因——Rab蛋白基因(DjR),涡虫Rab蛋白cDNA全长2 141 bp,开放性阅读框(ORF)621bp,编码206个氨基酸,相对分子量为23.1 kD,等电点6.59,属亲水性蛋白,主要定位于细胞质中,在氨基酸第20和21位之间有信号肽剪切位点。有8个磷酸化位点。含有小G蛋白家族5个保守的鸟苷酸结合区域。同源性比较分析结果表明,其碱基序列与已经报道的其他23个物种的相似性为53%-90%,且符合种属之间的进化关系。     

乙肝相关性肝癌中新基因CHCHD2的生物信息学分析

应用基因芯片技术获取以稳定转染HBx基因的肝癌细胞HepG2(HepG2-X)及非转染的肝癌细胞HepG2的差异表达的基因,利用生物信息学方法对新基因CHCHD2进行初步分析表明,该蛋白开放性读码框长456 bp,编码151个氨基酸残基,相对分子量为15.55 kD,等电点9.43,是主要定位于线粒体中的亲水性蛋白,二级结构均以α-螺旋和无规则卷曲为主要构件。同源性比较分析结果表明,其碱基序列与已经报道的其他17个物种相似性为64%-99%,且符合种属之间的进化关系。     

New epidermal keratin genes from Xenopus laevis: hormonal and regional regulation of their expression during anuran skin metamorphosis

Xenopus larval keratin (XLK) was isolated by gel electrophoresis of proteins of tadpole skin. Screening of an expression cDNA library of tail tissues by specific polyclonal antibodies against XLK produced XLK cDNA (xlk). Its complete nucleotide and predicted amino acid sequences revealed that XLK was a new member of type II keratin. Screening of a cDNA library of adult Xenopus skin using an oligonucleotide probe which had been designed from well-conserved N-terminal amino acid sequences of the rod domain of type I keratin produced two cDNAs, xak-a and xak-b, which were found to be new members of type I keratin gene. Northern blot analysis showed that xlk was expressed exclusively in the larval skin whereas xak-a and xak-b were expressed exclusively in the adult skin. Their expression level was regulated in a region- and metamorphic stage- dependent manner during larval skin development. mRNA in situ hybridization experiments identified the cells that expressed xlk, and xak-a and xak-b as larva- specific epidermal cells (skein cells and basal cells), and adult suprabasal epidermal cells, respectively. These three genes were found to be late responsive to thyroid hormone. Phylogenetic relationships of these keratins with known ones are discussed.     

Cloning and expression of apolipophorin-III from the common cutworm,Spodoptera litura

We have cloned apolipophorin-III (apoLp-III) cDNA from adult fat body of Spodoptera litura. The sequence encodes a 188 amino acid polypeptide including a 22 amino acid leader peptide. The circular dichroism spectrum from the purified apoLp-III indicated a considerable content of α-helix. Sequence alignment showed that S. Litura apoLp-III has a relatively high degree of sequence identity with the apoLps-III of lepidopteran, Manduca sexta (72%), Galleria mellonella (67%), Bombyx mori (60%). These alignments with four lepidopteran apoLps-III showed highly identical residues and conservative replacements at a degree of 86%. Levels of mRNA from last instar larval fat body and adult fat body were compared through Northern blot analysis using ³²P-labeled 704 bp apoLp-III cDNA probe. A 850 bp mRNA was detected in both stages and mRNA level of day 1 adult fat body was much higher than that of last instar larval fat body. The tissue-distribution of apoLp-III mRNA in adult ovary and testis was also examined and we confirmed the presence of apoLp-III mRNA in ovary and testis although apoLp-III was expressed in these tissues at very low levels compared with the adult fat body. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 39:166–173, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

鳜胰岛素样生长因子-ⅠcDNA全长克隆及组织表达分析

采用RT-PCR、cDNA末端快速扩增法(RACE)等技术克隆了鳜(Siniperca chuatsi)肝组织胰岛素样生长因子-I(IGF-I)cDNA全长序列.结果表明,鳜IGF-I cDNA全长1 784 bp,包括5'端非翻译区233bp,3'端非翻译区990 bp和开放阅读框561 bp,共编码186个氨基酸;...     

菊芋类金属硫蛋白基因htMT2的克隆及其表达特征分析

从菊芋(Helianthus tuberosus L.)块茎cDNA文库中得到了一个新的植物类金属硫蛋白基因htMT2的cDNA序列,全长509 bp,包括240 bp的开放阅读框、62 bp的5′端非翻译区、207 bp的3′端非翻译区.通过PCR获得了2个htMT2编码区的部分基因组片段htMTG-1及htMTG-2,长度分别为986 bp和982 bp.分析表明两个基因组片段均包含3个外显子及2个内含子,编码一个由79个氨基酸残基组成的多肽,与从htMT2推测的多肽完全一致,该多肽具有植物类金属硫蛋白的典型结构特征,N端及C端结构域富含Cys,分别具有8个和7个Cys残基,上述两个结构域被一个无Cys的中间区分开.Southern杂交结果表明,htMT2在菊芋基因组中以小基因家族的形式存在.Northern杂交结果表明htMT2在叶片、叶柄、茎及块茎中均有表达,在茎中有较高水平的表达,但在根中未检测到杂交信号.经Cu2+处理后,htMT2在茎中的表达量显著降低.与其他2型金属硫蛋白的序列同源性比较及htMT2对金属离子处理的反应均表明,htMT2是一种新的植物类金属硫蛋白基因.     

The cell proliferation-associated antigen of antibody Ki-67: a very large, ubiquitous nuclear protein with numerous repeated elements, representing a new kind of cell cycle-maintaining proteins

The antigen defined by mAb Ki-67 is a human nuclear protein the expression of which is strictly associated with cell proliferation and which is widely used in routine pathology as a "proliferation marker" to measure the growth fraction of cells in human tumors. Ki-67 detects a double band with apparent molecular weights of 395 and 345 kD in immunoblots of proteins from proliferating cells. We cloned and sequenced the full length cDNA, identified two differentially spliced isoforms of mRNA with open reading frames of 9,768 and 8,688 bp encoding for this cell proliferation-associated protein with calculated molecular weights of 358,761 D and 319,508 D, respectively. New mAbs against a bacterially expressed part and a synthetic polypeptide deduced from the isolated cDNA react with the native Ki-67 antigen, thus providing a circle of evidence that we have cloned the authentic Ki-67 antigen cDNA. The central part of the Ki-67 antigen cDNA contains a large 6,845-bp exon with 16 tandemly repeated 366-bp elements, the "Ki-67 repeats", each including a highly conserved new motif of 66 bp, the "Ki-67 motif", which encodes for the epitope detected by Ki-67. Computer analysis of the nucleic acid and the deduced amino acid sequence of the Ki-67 antigen confirmed that the cDNA encodes for a nuclear and short-lived protein without any significant homology to known sequences. Ki-67 antigen-specific antisense oligonucleotides inhibit the proliferation of IM-9 cell line cells, indicating that the Ki-67 antigen may be an absolute requirement for maintaining cell proliferation. We conclude that the Ki-67 antigen defines a new category of cell cycle-associated nuclear nonhistone proteins.     

孔石莼凝集素蛋白基因的克隆与表达

根据孔石莼(Ulva pertusa)凝集素(Lectin)蛋白cDNA全长序列(GenBank登录号:AY433960)设计引物,以其总DNA为模板,采用PCR技术扩增蛋白DNA序列,经克隆、测序获得基因序列。结果表明,孔石莼凝集素蛋白(UPL)基因序列长约为670 bp,含有一个大小为56 bp的内含子。此外,设计带酶切位点的引物,以UPL-cDNA为模板,扩增其开放阅读框,并与表达载体pGEX-2T连接,构建原核表达载体pG2T-UPL,并在大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中成功表达大小约为47 kD的目的蛋白。     

Structural features and sites of expression of a new murine 65 kD and 48 kD hair-related keratin pair, associated with a special type of parakeratotic epithelial differentiation

In the course of studies on local keratin phenotypes in the epidermis of the adult mouse, we have identified a new 65 kD and 48 kD keratin pair. In mouse skin, this keratin pair is only expressed in suprabasal cells of adult mouse tail scale epidermis which is characterized by the complete absence of a granular layer and the formation of a remarkably compact stratum corneum. A second site in which the 65 kD and 48 kD keratin pair is suprabasally expressed and whose morphology corresponds to that of tail scale epidermis is found in the posterior unit of the complex filiform papillae of mouse tongue. The causal relationship of the expression of the 65 kD and 48 kD keratins with this particular type of a non-pathological epithelial parakeratosis is emphasized by the suppression of the mRNA synthesis of the two keratins during retinoic acid mediated orthokeratotic conversion of tail scale epidermis. Apart from tail scale epidermis and the posterior unit of the filiform papillae, the 65 kD and 48 kD keratin pair is, however, also coexpressed with "hard" alpha keratins in suprabulbar cells of hair follicles and in suprabasal cells of the central core unit of the lingual filiform papillae. The non alpha-helical domains of the two new keratins are rich in cysteine and proline residues and lack the typical subdomains into which epithelial keratins of both types can be divided. This structural resemblance of the 65 kD and 48 kD keratins to "hard" alpha keratins is supported by comparative flexibility predictions for their non alpha-helical domains. Phylogenetic investigations then show that the 65 kD and 48 kD keratin pair has evolved together with hair keratins, but has diverged from these during evolution to constitute an independent branch of a pair of hair-related keratins. In view of this exceptional position of the 65 kD and 48 kD keratins within the keratin multigene family, their expression has apparently been adopted by rare anatomical sites in which an orthokeratinized stratum corneum would be too soft and a hard keratinized structure would be too rigid to meet the functional requirement of the respective epithelia.     

Epithelial Ca(2+) channel expression and Ca(2+) uptake in developing zebrafish

The purpose of the present work was to study the possible role of the epithelial Ca(2+) channel (ECaC) in the Ca(2+) uptake mechanism in developing zebrafish (Danio rerio). With rapid amplification of cDNA ends, full-length cDNA encoding the ECaC of zebrafish (zECaC) was cloned and sequenced. The cloned zECaC was 2,578 bp in length and encoded a protein of 709 amino acids that showed up to 73% identity with previously described vertebrate ECaCs. The zECaC was found to be expressed in all tissues examined and began to be expressed in the skin covering the yolk sac of embryos at 24 h postfertilization (hpf). zECaC-expressing cells expanded to cover the skin of the entire yolk sac after embryonic development and began to occur in the gill filaments at 96 hpf, and thereafter zECaC-expressing cells rapidly increased in both gills and yolk sac skin. Corresponding to ECaC expression profile, the Ca(2+) influx and content began to increase at 36-72 hpf. Incubating zebrafish embryos in low-Ca(2+) (0.02 mM) freshwater caused upregulation of the whole body Ca(2+) influx and zECaC expression in both gills and skin. Colocalization of zECaC mRNA and the Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase alpha-subunit (a marker for mitochondria-rich cells) indicated that only a portion of the mitochondria-rich cells expressed zECaC mRNA. These results suggest that the zECaC plays a key role in Ca(2+) absorption in developing zebrafish.     

Molecular evidence for two vitellogenin genes and processing of vitellogenins in the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana

The American cockroach, Periplaneta americana has two vitellins (Vn1 and Vn2) and corresponding vitellogenins (Vg1 and Vg2). Vns/Vgs were separated on the SDS-PAGE as three major polypeptide bands [170, 100 (multisubunits), and 50 kD] and a minor polypeptide band (150 kD) both in the egg (mature terminal oocyte) extract and in the female hemolymph. We previously cloned one Vg (Vg1) cDNA and showed that the 170-kD polypeptide originated from the C-terminus of the Vg1. In the present study, we cloned the other Vg (Vg2) cDNA. It is 5,826 bp long encoding 1,876 amino acid residues (including 16 residues for putative signal peptide) in a single ORF. The deduced amino acid sequences of both Vgs (Vg1 and Vg2) of P. americana showed 30% identity. The GL/ICG motif is followed by eight cysteine residues at conserved locations near the C-terminal and the DGXR motif starts 18 residues upstream of the GL/ICG motif. The chemically determined N-terminal amino acid sequences of the 150-kD and of the 50-kD polypeptides matched exactly with each other and with the deduced N-terminal amino acid sequence of the Vg2 cDNA. The pattern of processing in P. americana Vns/Vgs is discussed.