Nonsense mutation of feline beta-hexosaminidase beta-subunit (HEXB) gene causing Sandhoff disease in a family of Japanese domestic cats

G(M2) gangliosidoses are inherited metabolic disorders and are caused by severely reduced enzymatic activity of lysosomal beta-hexosaminidase. In the present study, the open reading frame (ORF) of the HEXB gene in a family of Japanese domestic cats with G(M2) gangliosidosis variant 0 (Sandhoff disease) was determined. Two types of abnormal cDNA clones were obtained from the liver of an affected cat tissue. One showed a single nucleotide substitution from C to T at nucleotide position 667 of the HEXB ORF. In the deduced amino acid sequence, the codon of arginine was altered to a stop codon. The genotyping, using PCR-primer introduced restriction analysis confirmed that Sandhoff disease in this family is associated with this nonsense mutation. Discovery of the nonsense mutation will permit the confirmation of the clinical diagnosis of Sandhoff disease in conjugation with the already established enzyme-based test.     

Identification of two allelic forms of ovine CD4 exhibiting a Ser183/Pro183 polymorphism in the coding sequence of domain 3

The ovine CD4 cDNA sequence from four sheep sources (Australian Merino, Indonesian Thin Tail, Canadian cross bred, Prealpes du sud) predicts a protein of 455 residues with position 130 in the V2 domain exhibiting a W instead of C suggesting that, like the white whale, dog and cat sequences, sheep CD4 contains only two disulphide bonds. The sequence shows 73% amino acid identity and 83% nucleotide identity to a CD4 sequence from the white whale and significant identity to a partial sequence (314 residues) of bovine CD4 (87% amino acid identity, 93% nucleotide identity). Phylogenetic analysis showed that the ovine CD4 sequence forms a clade with the pig, white whale, dolphin, dog and cat CD4. Two forms of ovine CD4 were identified which differ by a single base pair (T/C) in their cDNA sequence at position 622. This polymorphism is also present in sheep genomic DNA in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, suggesting that at least two alleles of CD4 exist in the ovine genome with no selection for a particular allele. This polymorphism changes the first codon position of amino acid 183 and results in a Pro/Ser substitution in the N-terminal region of domain 3 of the CD4 protein.     

Hemophilia B (factor IX deficiency) with concomitant factor XII degradation in a male crossbreed cat

A male cat suffered from a severe haemorrhagic disorder manifesting as deep, partly infected cutaneous haematomas, enhanced and prolonged bleeding after injuries and subsequent lameness at several occasions. Bleeding resulted in severe anaemia with haematocrit falling to as low as 0.10 L/L. Haemophilia B was diagnosed based on factor IX deficiency with a functional residual activity of 5% and factor IX antigen of 8%, respectively. Additionally, factor XII activity was reduced to 32% of normal. The mutation 31217G==>A in exon 8 of the factor IX gene, predicting the amino acid exchange G366R was identified as the cause of moderate factor IX deficiency. This is the first mutation identified in cats with haemophilia B. Treatment was limited to local therapy and palliation, insufficient to prevent lethal outcome due to severe anaemia.     

High genetic stability of TM1 and TM2 strains of subtype B feline immunodeficiency virus in long-term infection

To know the genetic changes of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) in long-term infection in cats, we inoculated three specific pathogen-free cats with FIV isolates and determined a partial env sequence covering the V3-V5 region. In 2 cats infected with subtype B strains TM1 and TM2, only one amino acid change in region V3 was observed at 9 years post infection (y.p.i.), and no nucleotide substitutions were observed between 9 and 10 y.p.i., indicating that these strains are genetically stable. On the other hand, in a cat infected with subtype A strain Petaluma at 8.7 y.p.i., 3 nucleotide insertions (one amino acid insertion) in region V5, and 1 synonymous nucleotide substitution and 2 non-synonymous nucleotide substitutions in region V5, were observed.     

Identification of a c-kit exon 8 internal tandem duplication in a feline mast cell tumor case and its favorable response to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib mesylate

The gain-of-function mutations within c-kit, a protooncogene encoding KIT, induce constitutive ligand-independent kinase activation and are important for the pathogenesis of mast cell proliferative disease in humans as well as in dogs. Despite the clinical importance of feline mast cell tumors, no mutation has been shown within the c-kit gene in cats. In the present report, we analyzed the c-kit nucleotide sequence in the case of a cat that showed systemic mastocytosis and mastocytemia. Within the c-kit cDNA prepared from the malignant mast cells, we identified an 12-bp internal tandem duplication at the region corresponding to exon 8, resulting in a four amino acid insertion between residues Thr418 and His419 within the fifth immunoglobulin-like domain of KIT. The cat underwent therapy with the kinase inhibitor imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) at a dose of 10mg/kg. The tumor masses greatly responded and were undetectable after 5 weeks of treatment. Correspondingly, the number of mast cells in the peripheral blood was markedly reduced. It is, therefore, considered that the internal tandem duplication within the domain contributes to the neoplastic transformation of mast cells in the cat by increasing KIT phosphorylation.     

Mutations in feline immunodeficiency (FIV) virus envelope gene V3-V5 regions in FIV-infected cats

The envelope (Env) gene V3-V5 regions of the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) encode the neutralizing epitopes. Since mutations in these regions induce resistance to viral neutralizing antibodies, they may influence the effects of vaccines. To examine the in vivo mutation rate in these regions, we cloned cDNA for the Env gene V3-V5 regions from the PBMC of experimentally FIV-infected cats, and compared the deduced amino acid sequences. Blood or plasma from an FIV Shizuoka strain-infected cat was inoculated into a second group of SPF cats, and their blood or plasma was inoculated into the third group. The amino acid sequence encoded by the viral gene of the first cat was compared with those encoded by the viral genes of a total of eight cats in the second and third groups (two and six cats, respectively). The amino acid sequences in two cats in the second and third groups were 100% homologous and in one cat in the third group was 98.3% homologous to that in the first infected cat. Five cats had the same sequence, which was 97.8% homologous to that in the first infected cat. Three kittens, born 2 months after the inoculation of the FIV Aomori-2 strain into the mother cat, were anti-FIV negative at 4 weeks after birth, but became seropositive at 33 weeks after birth, confirming FIV infection. Comparison of the encoded amino acid sequences of the viral gene in two cats at 48 weeks after birth showed 100% homology to that of the virus inoculated into the mother cat, and the remaining one cat had a single residue substitution, resulting in 99.4% homology. These results suggest that the FIV Env gene V3-V5 regions are stably maintained for at least 1-2 years after infection.     

Sequence analysis of the NRAMP1 genes from different bovine and buffalo breeds

The natural resistance associated macrophage protein 1 (Nramp1) has been reported to confer resistance or susceptibility to Mycobacterium bovis, Salmonella typhimurium, and Leishmania donovani in the mouse, Mus musculus. A Gly and Asp substitution at position 169 of the mouse Nramp protein is invariably associated with the resistant and susceptible phenotypes, respectively. The present study aimed to detect polymorphisms in the NRAMP1 gene from different cattle and buffalo breeds. Genomic DNAs from five breeds of cattle and four breeds of buffalo were used in the study. Sequencing showed two nucleotide substitutions found in intron 4, three in exon V, and ten in intron 5. An amino acid substitution was observed at nucleotide position 1202 in exon V of the Japanese black, Angus, Philippine and Bangladesh swamp-type buffaloes which coded for Thr, while the Korean cattle, Holstein, African N'dama, Indonesian swamp-type buffalo and the Bangladesh river-type buffalo had Ile. All the breeds of cattle and buffaloes tested in this study coded for Gly at the position in exon VI which corresponds to the same amino acid of the murine Nramp1-resistant phenotype at position 169. The phylogenetic relationship among the different breeds showed a cluster comprised mainly of cattle and another one mainly of buffaloes.     

Cloning and characterization of a bovine genomic fragment homologous to epidermal growth factor genes

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a potent mitogen for a variety of cell types. The 53-amino acid mature EGF protein is encoded by sequences in exons 20 and 21 of a gene spanning over 110 kb. In this study, we report the cloning and characterization of 7.5 kb of bovine genomic sequence homologous to exon 19 through 21 from EGF genes from other mammalian species. The cloned gene fragment had an unusual sequence composition in the form of an in-frame TGA codon in the coding sequence. The sequence was expressed at low levels in kidney tissue and the corresponding cDNA contained the TGA codon. The level of similarity between the bovine exonic sequence and the human, porcine, murine, feline, and canine corresponding sequences varied from 64% to 73%; however, when only sequences encoding the mature EGF protein were compared, the level of similarity between the bovine sequence and the sequence from these species was 59% to 66%. The sequence similarity of the deduced mature protein was lower (34% to 39%) than the sequence similarity of the deduced propeptide. Although the cloned sequences could originate from a bovine EGF pseudogene, the possibility exists that they originate from the functional EGF gene. An as yet unidentified mechanism to by-pass the stop codon would allow the synthesis of a functional EGF protein. Alternatively, the cloned sequence could originate from an EGF-like gene.     

贵州白香猪BF基因多态性研究

贵州白香猪为贵州特有的地方品种猪,本研究采用直接测序法对贵州白香猪BF基因外显子15、16、17的733 bp进行多态性分析。结果显示,在第16外显子41 bp处存在A→C的碱基突变,导致编码的氨基酸由谷氨酸(Glu)突变为天冬氨酸(Asp)。在贵州白香猪群体内检测到AA、AC和CC 3种基因型,等位基因A和C 频率分别为0.88和0.12。     

Molecular cloning of insulin-like growth factor-I complimentary DNA and promoter region in the domestic duck (Anas platyrhynchos)*

Complementary DNA (cDNA) and the flanking region of insulin‐like growth factor‐I (IGF‐I) of domesticated duck were cloned. The nucleotide sequence analysis of the cDNA showed seven and eight bases different, respectively, from chicken and turkey IGF‐I cDNA within the coding region. The amino acid sequence of prepro IGF‐I differed by one and two amino acids from those observed in chicken and turkey, respectively. However, no amino acid substitution was observed in the mature IGF‐I region. Sequence analysis of the promoter region and exon 1 of the duck IGF‐I revealed a high degree of similarity to that of the chicken IGF‐I gene. These results suggest that the mechanisms which regulate expression of the IGF‐I gene may be widely conserved in avian species.     

新城疫病毒贵州不同鸡源分离株F基因的克隆与序列分析

应用PCR技术扩增NDV贵州不同鸡源分离株,包括肉鸡源P1株与BY株、蛋鸡源H2株与FW株、七彩山鸡源N98株和越南斗鸡源DQ株的F蛋白基因,将该基因片段分别进行克隆和测序,并与国内外NDV参考株的对应序列进行比较分析。结果表明:6株NDV贵州不同鸡源分离株的F基因长度均为1 662 bp,编码553个氨基酸;分离株间核苷酸同源性为86.9%~99.7%,氨基酸同源性为91.0%~99.3%;与国内外NDV代表株(LaSota株、B1株、F48E9株、CH2000株和TW 2000株)的核苷酸同源性为84.0%~98.9%,氨基酸同源性为87.2%~98.6%;经系统发育进化树分析,DQ株、N98株、P1株和H2株为基因VIId型,而BY株和FW株为基因IX型。这些结果提示贵州省不同鸡群间存在相同NDV毒株感染的可能性,不同年份间NDV毒株发生基因型改变,而近年来贵州省流行的ND疫情主要是由NDV基因VII型引起。     

Molecular and genetic basis for thrombasthenic thrombopathia in otterhounds.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the molecular and genetic basis for thrombasthenic thrombopathia in Otterhounds and establish whether the defect would be best classified as type-I Glanzmann's thrombasthenia. ANIMALS: 57 dogs, including 13 affected Otterhounds, 23 carrier Otterhounds, 17 unaffected Otterhounds, and 4 clinically normal unrelated dogs of other breeds. PROCEDURE: Functional (platelet aggregation, clot retraction, buccal mucosa bleeding time) and biochemical (electrophoresis, flow cytometry, fibrinogen content) analyses were conducted. In addition, first-strand cDNA synthesis from platelet total RNA was performed. Exons of the genes encoding for glycoproteins (GP) IIb and IIIa were amplified in overlapping fashion. The resulting products were excised from agarose gels and sequenced. The sequences obtained were compared with known cDNA sequences for canine GPIIb and GPIIIa. RESULTS: A single nucleotide change at position G1193 (1100) was detected in exon 12 of the gene encoding for platelet GPIIb in 2 affected Otterhounds. Carrier Otterhounds were heterozygous at this position, and 2 unaffected Otterhounds were unchanged. This nucleotide change would result in substitution of histidine for aspartic acid at position 398 (367) within the third calcium-binding domain of GPIIb. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These studies suggest that thrombasthenic thrombopathia of Otterhounds is homologous phenotypically and has a similar molecular basis to type-I Glanzmann's thrombasthenia in humans.     

内蒙古绒山羊褪黑激素受体1a基因外显子1 克隆及序列分析

参考GenBank上已发表的绵羊(登录号:15U14109)、人(登录号:U14108)、牛(登录号:U73327)、鼠(登录号:U52222)等物种褪黑激素受体(melatonin receptor 1a,MTNR1a)基因 cDNA序列设计引物,以内蒙古绒山羊基因组DNA为模板进行PCR扩增,得到257 bp的基因片段,将扩增产物进行克隆测序后与GenBank数据库进行序列同源性比较。结果表明,绒山羊MNTR1a基因外显子1序列与已发表的绵羊和牛该基因序列同源性分别为99%和96%,说明所得到的序列为绒山羊MNTR1a基因的外显子1序列。利用DNAStar软件分析,得到该基因序列的257个核苷酸。该序列包括5''UTR 23个核苷酸、翻译起始密码子ATG和N端78个氨基酸编码序列。     

抗体信号肽基因的克隆和序列测定及真核表达载体的构建

根据抗体重链与轻链基因的核苷酸序列设计并合成了1对引物,以猪外周血淋巴细胞基因组mRNA为模板,通过RT_PCR方法获得了一大小约85bp的DNA片段,并将其克隆到pGEM_T载体上进行序列测定,测序结果显示,猪抗体信号肽基因核苷酸序列长度为57bp,编码19个氨基酸,核苷酸及推导的氨基酸序列与已发表的抗体信号肽基因序列一致,同时在信号肽基因3’端下游提供可供肽酶切割的窗口和外源基因的克隆位点。然后将信号肽基因亚克隆到真核表达载体pcDNA3.1( )中,成功构建了一含信号肽序列的真核表达载体3.1_SFc,为外源基因在pcDNA3.1( )中的表达与分泌提供了一有效的信号肽,也为研究基因的功能奠定了基础。     

Expression of RANTES mRNA in skin lesions of feline eosinophilic plaque

Abstract One of the mechanisms of eosinophil infiltration is its induction by chemoattractants such as regulated upon activation, normal T-expressed and secreted (RANTES) which is a cysteine–cysteine chemokine that mediates chemotaxis and activation of eosinophils in humans and mice. Skin lesions of feline eosinophilic plaque are characterized by a predominant infiltration of eosinophils. The mechanism(s) of eosinophilic infiltration in the skin and/or mucosa of cats is unknown. It is possible that RANTES is involved. To investigate the presence of RANTES in the skin of cats with eosinophilic plaques and nonaffected skin, we cloned and sequenced the full-length feline RANTES cDNA gene, in order to determine whether it is present in the skin of cats with eosinophilic plaques and/or if it is present in normal adjacent skin. We were able to document the the expression of RANTES mRNAs in skin with feline eosinophilic plaque as well as in normal cat skin. The full-length cDNA sequence of the RANTES gene (742 bp) contained a single open reading frame of 276 bp encoding a protein of 92 amino acids. The amino acid sequence of feline RANTES shared 67 and 74% sequence identity with that of bovine and mouse RANTES genes, respectively. RT–PCR analysis on RANTES mRNA in the skin of cats with eosinophilic plaque revealed that its expression was higher in the eosinophilic plaque skin lesions than in the normal skin. The result suggested that RANTES might play a role to induce eosinophil infiltration in feline eosinophilic plaque lesions.     

牛肌肉生长抑制素基因单核苷酸多态性分析

应用PCR-SSCP分析方法,对94头肉牛(公牛45头:西门塔尔34头,夏洛来11头;母牛49头:西门塔尔24头,夏洛来25头)的肌肉生长抑制素(MSTN)3个外显子进行了多态性分析.结果显示,第1外显子存在2种基因型,分别为AA型和AB型.经测序发现,第1外显子4 bp处存在C→G的碱基突变,导致编码的氨基酸由谷氨酰胺(Gln)→谷氨酸(Glu).统计结果表明,等位基因B的含量低,而且只在西门塔尔品种内含0.026 6.利用SPSS软件作最小二乘分析,结果表明,B等位基因与西门塔尔牛的成年体质量和犊牛出生体质量呈显著正相关.     

PCR Amplification and Bioinformatics Analysis of IL-7 Gene in Tibetan Sheep

In order to get the interleukin-7 (IL-7) gene sequence of Tibetan sheep, and research the characteristics of this sequence and structure and function of encoding protein, IL-7 gene was amplified from Tibetan sheep by RT-PCR. The nucleotide sequence,amino acid sequence, homology and phylogenetic tree were analyzed by the DNAStar software. The secondary and tertiary structures, hydrophilicity, signal peptide and post-translational modification site of the encoding protein were predicted by DNAStar software and online servers. The results showed that the length of IL-7 gene was 531 bp (contained termination codon), and encoded 176 amino acids. Compared with IL-7 gene of Ovis aries, Capra hircus, Pantholops hodgsonii, Bubalus bubalis, Bos indicus, Bison bison bison, Bos taurus and Bos mutus, IL-7 gene of Tibetan sheep showed a great similarity from 97.2% to 99.8%, the amino acid sequence homology varied from 94.9% to 99.4%, and the relationship was the closest between Tibetan sheep and Ovis aries. Result from protein structure prediction indicated that the IL-7 protein was mainly composed of α-helix, it was a hydrophilic and secretory protein. Furthermore, it had six kinds of post translational modification sites, including one N-myristoylation site, one amidation site, one cAMP-and cGMP-dependent protein kinase phosphorylation site, three N-glycosylation sites, four protein kinase C phosphorylation sites and six casein kinase Ⅱ phosphorylation sites. These results might provide references for further study and clinical application of IL-7 gene in Tibetan sheep.     

藏羊白细胞介素-7基因的PCR扩增及生物信息学分析

为了获得藏羊白细胞介素-7（interleukin-7,IL-7）基因序列,并研究其序列特征及编码蛋白的结构和功能,本试验采用RT-PCR方法,从藏羊脾脏中扩增了IL-7基因,应用DNAStar软件分析该基因的核苷酸和氨基酸序列,与经BLAST比对后的参考序列进行同源性比对,并构建系统进化树,同时利用DNAStar软件和在线服务器预测该基因编码蛋白的二级结构、三级结构、亲水性、信号肽和蛋白翻译后修饰位点。结果表明,藏羊IL-7基因长度为531 bp（含终止密码子）,编码176个氨基酸。藏羊IL-7基因与绵羊、山羊、藏羚羊、水牛、瘤牛、美洲草原野牛、黄牛和牦牛的IL-7基因核苷酸序列同源性在97.2%~99.8%之间,氨基酸序列同源性在94.9%~99.4%之间,藏羊与绵羊的亲缘关系最近。蛋白结构预测结果表明,IL-7蛋白主要由α螺旋组成,是一种亲水性和分泌型蛋白。该蛋白含有6种蛋白质翻译后修饰位点,包括1个N-豆蔻酰化位点、1个酰胺化位点、1个cAMP和cGMP依赖性蛋白激酶磷酸化位点、3个N-糖基化位点、4个蛋白激酶C磷酸化位点、6个酪蛋白激酶Ⅱ磷酸化位点。本研究结果可为藏羊IL-7基因的进一步研究与临床应用提供参考。     

Polymorphisms of MEF2A Gene and its Relationship with Slaughter Traits in Sansui Duck

To understand the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism sites (SNPs) of myocyte enhancer factor 2A (MEF2A) gene and slaughter traits in Sansui duck, a total of 60 individuals of Sansui ducks were selected to investigate in this study, direct sequencing of PCR and PCR-SSCP methods were used on single nucleotide polymorphisms of MEF2A gene, and genetic effects of its on slaughter traits were analyzed.The results showed that two SNPs which include g.47915G>A and g.47918G>A of exon 11 were found in MEF2A gene, and the G/A mutation in the g.47915G>A SNP resulted in the change of codon from GAA to AAA, and the coding amino acid from Glu to Lys, and the G/A mutation in the g.47918G>A SNP resulted in the change of codon from GAT to AAT, and the coding amino acid from Asp to Asn.The result of association of SNPs with slaughter traits showed various results were as follows:g.47915G>A and g.47918G>A had affected the eviscerated percentage.This result revealed that the polymorphism of MEF2A gene had basilic influence on slaughter traits.