Conserved genetic basis of a quantitative plumage trait involved in mate choice

A key question in evolutionary genetics is whether shared genetic mechanisms underlie the independent evolution of similar phenotypes across phylogenetically divergent lineages. Here we show that in two classic examples of melanic plumage polymorphisms in birds, lesser snow geese (Anser c. caerulescens) and arctic skuas (Stercorarius parasiticus), melanism is perfectly associated with variation in the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene. In both species, the degree of melanism correlates with the number of copies of variant MC1R alleles. Phylogenetic reconstructions of variant MC1R alleles in geese and skuas show that melanism is a derived trait that evolved in the Pleistocene.     

SLC24A5, a putative cation exchanger, affects pigmentation in zebrafish and humans

Lighter variations of pigmentation in humans are associated with diminished number, size, and density of melanosomes, the pigmented organelles of melanocytes. Here we show that zebrafish golden mutants share these melanosomal changes and that golden encodes a putative cation exchanger slc24a5 (nckx5) that localizes to an intracellular membrane, likely the melanosome or its precursor. The human ortholog is highly similar in sequence and functional in zebrafish. The evolutionarily conserved ancestral allele of a human coding polymorphism predominates in African and East Asian populations. In contrast, the variant allele is nearly fixed in European populations, is associated with a substantial reduction in regional heterozygosity, and correlates with lighter skin pigmentation in admixed populations, suggesting a key role for the SLC24A5 gene in human pigmentation.     

MC1R germline variants confer risk for BRAF-mutant melanoma

Germline variants in MC1R, the gene encoding the melanocortin-1 receptor, and sun exposure increase risk for melanoma in Caucasians. The majority of melanomas that occur on skin with little evidence of chronic sun-induced damage (non-CSD melanoma) have mutations in the BRAF oncogene, whereas in melanomas on skin with marked CSD (CSD melanoma) these mutations are less frequent. In two independent Caucasian populations, we show that MC1R variants are strongly associated with BRAF mutations in non-CSD melanomas. In this tumor subtype, the risk for melanoma associated with MC1R is due to an increase in risk of developing melanomas with BRAF mutations.     

沙皮犬MC1R基因的克隆与序列分析

黑素皮质素1型受体(melanocortin 1 receptor,MC1R)基因在哺乳动物中具有调节细胞黑色素形成的作用,被认为是影响犬毛色的重要候选基因.用PCR技术对沙皮犬MC1R基因序列进行扩增,获得沙皮犬MC1R基因序列1 333 bp,包含完整的MC1R基因开放阅读框954 bp,编码317个氨基酸.该序列与鸡、鼠、犬、人等6种动物MC1R基因CDS序列有70.1％～98.3％的同源性,相应氨基酸序列的同源性达61.1％～96.9％.系统发育树分析结果表明,沙皮犬与已报道的黄金猎犬亲缘最近,与鸡的亲缘关系最远.     

Hoxc13/β-catenin Correlation with Hair Follicle Activity in Cashmere Goat

Seasonal hair follicle activity and fibre growth in some Cashmere-bearing goats (Caprus hircus) is a cyclic process that is well characterized morphologically but understood incompletely at the molecular level. As an initial step in discovering regulators in hair-follicle activity and cycling, we used qPCR to investigate 19 genes expression in Cashmere goat side skin from 12 mon. Many of these genes may be associated with the hair follicle development-relevant genes (HFDRGs) in the literature. Here we show that Hoxc13/β-catenin gene associated with the follicle activity. In addition, Hoxc13 was found to be expressed with an drastic increase between July and November for melatonin treatments. To further investigate the role of Hoxc13 on HFDRGs, fibroblasts and keratinocytes from Cashmere goat skin were transfected with p-ECFPHoxc13. The result suggested that overexpression of Hoxc13 gene decreased HFDRGs with negative role for hair follicle development and increase HFDRGs with positive role for hair follicle development in vitro. These findings provide data on the Hoxc13 expression profile of normal Cashmere goat skin and Cashmere goat skin with melatonin treatment, and demonstrate hair-follicle-activity dependent regulation of Hoxc13 expression.     

Microcephalin, a gene regulating brain size, continues to evolve adaptively in humans

The gene Microcephalin (MCPH1) regulates brain size and has evolved under strong positive selection in the human evolutionary lineage. We show that one genetic variant of Microcephalin in modern humans, which arose approximately 37,000 years ago, increased in frequency too rapidly to be compatible with neutral drift. This indicates that it has spread under strong positive selection, although the exact nature of the selection is unknown. The finding that an important brain gene has continued to evolve adaptively in anatomically modern humans suggests the ongoing evolutionary plasticity of the human brain. It also makes Microcephalin an attractive candidate locus for studying the genetics of human variation in brain-related phenotypes.     

MC4R基因在淮猪中的多态性及其与生长性状和背膘厚的相关性

[目的]分析MCAR基因多态性与生长速度及背膘厚性状的遗传关系。[方法]采用PCR-Taq I-RFLP技术,检测淮猪新品系165头个体在MC4R基因D298N主效位点的遗传变异,统计分析MCAR基因型与日增重和活体背膘厚性状的关联性。[结果]结果表明,淮猪新品系猪群中存在着丰富的MC4R基因多态性,其AA型个体的生长速度明显快于BB型个体（P〈0．01）;从型个体的活体背膘厚明显比BB型个体薄（P〈0．05）;AB型个体均处于中间。[结论]该研究进一步验证了MC4R基因对猪生长肥育性状的影响效应,为MG4R基因作为淮猪新品系的分子遗传标记提供可能性。     

Mitf-M在羊驼皮肤组织的表达与序列分析及免疫组织化学定位

【目的】克隆羊驼皮肤组织表达的Mitf-M CDS序列,比较分析羊驼皮肤组织Mitf-M的特征,进一步定位分析Mitf-M蛋白表达的位置,为深入研究羊驼毛色基因表达机制奠定基础。【方法】采用RT-PCR扩增方法分段扩增Mitf-M CDS区,分别利用Clustal X和BioEdit生物学软件对氨基酸序列进行多重序列比较分析,免疫组织化学技术对Mitf-M蛋白定位分析。【结果】羊驼皮肤组织表达的Mitf-M的CDS区由419个氨基酸组成,具有bHLH-zip转录家族的保守结构域,该基因与牛和犬亲缘关系最近,Mitf-M蛋白主要分布于羊驼皮肤组织毛球基底层细胞之间与毛乳头周围的黑色素细胞中。【结论】与其它物种相比较,羊驼皮肤组织表达的Mitf-M蛋白保守性很强,在进化过程中的变异不大,可见Mitf-M为毛发的色素沉积提供重要的物质基础。     

乌骨鸡黑色素皮质激素受体-1基因的克隆、序列分析与原核表达

【目的】克隆乌骨鸡黑色素皮质激素受体-1（melanocortin 1-receptor,MC1R）基因,并对其进行生物学分析和原核表达。【方法】采集乌骨鸡的肌肉组织,提取其总RNA,根据GenBank上公布的原鸡（Gallus gullus）MC1R基因序列设计引物,利用反转录RT-PCR克隆乌骨鸡MC1R基因,对其进行生物学分析,并构建原核表达载体pET32a-MC1R,在大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）中进行表达。【结果】乌骨鸡MC1R序列由945个碱基组成,编码314个氨基酸。成功构建了重组质粒pET32a-MC1R的原核表达系统,并且体外诱导获得了MC1R蛋白。【结论】成功克隆了乌骨鸡MC1R基因并分析了其与乌骨鸡乌色性状的关系,其与原鸡的亲缘关系最近,达99.4%,经原核表达获得了乌骨鸡MC1R蛋白。     

Melanesian blond hair is caused by an amino acid change in TYRP1

Naturally blond hair is rare in humans and found almost exclusively in Europe and Oceania. Here, we identify an arginine-to-cysteine change at a highly conserved residue in tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1) as a major determinant of blond hair in Solomon Islanders. This missense mutation is predicted to affect catalytic activity of TYRP1 and causes blond hair through a recessive mode of inheritance. The mutation is at a frequency of 26% in the Solomon Islands, is absent outside of Oceania, represents a strong common genetic effect on a complex human phenotype, and highlights the importance of examining genetic associations worldwide.     

MC3R基因单核苷酸多态性与蛋用鹌鹑早期屠体性状关系的研究

以MC3R基因为候选基因,根据鸡的MC3R基因序列(GenBank登录号:AB017137)在编码区设计2对引物,采用PCR-SSCP和DNA测序技术,检测该基因在蛋用鹌鹑群体中的单核苷酸多态性(SNPs),同时对候选基因与鹌鹑早期屠体性状的相关性进行了分析.结果表明,鹌鹑MC3R基因在所测序列的27(G→A)和138...     

北京鸭MC4R基因的克隆及其组织表达的差异

黑素皮质素受体-4(melanocortin receptor-4,MC4R)是黑素皮质素受体家族5个亚型(MCR1-5)之一,在控制食欲、体质量、能量平衡中有重要作用。本研究采用RT-PCR技术从北京鸭脑组织中克隆出鸭MC4R基因的编码区序列,分析其基因结构并进行功能预测,利用实时荧光定量进行组织差异表达研究。结果表明,鸭MC4R基因编码区全长996 bp,编码332个氨基酸,包括起始密码子ATG和终止密码子TAG;与鹅、鸡、小鼠、人的相似性分别为97%、95%、78%、80%;推导的氨基酸序列显示,鸭MC4R蛋白具有G蛋白耦联受体家族结构域;实时定量结果表明,MC4R基因在北京鸭各组织相对表达水平存在差异,其中在脑组织中表达最高,脾脏、心脏、腿肌、腹脂、肾脏次之,而在肝脏和肺脏中表达量最低。本试验为进一步研究鸭MC4R基因的生物学功能奠定了基础。     

Inverted duplication including Endothelin 3 closely related to dermal hyperpigmentation in Silkie chickens

The dermal hyperpigmentation phenotype in chickens is controlled by the dominant fibromelanosis allele. One of the ten unique characteristics of Silkie chickens is the fibromelanosis phenotype, which is pigmentation in the dermal layer of the skin and connective tissue. In this study, we found a mutation of fibromelanosis, a genomic rearrangement that included an inverted duplication of endothelin3 (EDN3), is responsible. We show that, as a stimulator of melanoblast proliferation, EDN3 expression was increased in silkie embryos and in both skin and muscle throughout adulthood. EDN3 expression led to an increase in expression of the downstream genes EDNRB2 and TYRP2, and was closely relate with the hyperpigmentation phenotype. We examined eight different Chinese chicken breeds showing hyperpigmentation and conclude that this structural genetic variant exists in all fibromelanosis chicken breeds.     

犬黑皮质素受体4真核表达载体的构建及在COS-7细胞中的表达

[目的]构建犬黑皮质素受体4真核表达载体并在COS-7细胞中进行瞬间表达。[方法]以犬MC4R线性DNA为模板,进行引物设计,PCR特异性扩增,扩增产物连接到pMD18-T载体上,酶切鉴定后测序。将该片段亚克隆到真核表达载体pcDNA3.1(+)。重组体pcD-NA3.1(+)-MC4R经过酶切和测序鉴定。采用FuGENE HD介导转染技术将pcDNA3.1(+)-MC4R导入COS-7细胞,提取细胞内总RNA,RT-PCR扩增犬MC4R基因的全长cDNA编码序列。[结果]克隆犬MC4R基因的全长cDNA序列,并以pcDNA3.1(+)表达载体为骨架,构建真核表达载体,测序的扩增片段与GenBank公布的模板序列经Blast比对相似性为99%。采用G418筛选,获得带有pcDNA3.1(+)-MC4R的COS-7细胞。[结论]成功构建犬真核表达载体pcDNA3.1(+)-MC4R,重组体能在真核细胞中表达。     

湖羊肌肉MC4R基因表达水平与肌内脂肪含量的相关性分析

选取了初生、1～6月龄湖羊公羔和12月龄的周岁公羊各5只,采用real-time PCR检测湖羊不同部位肌肉黑素皮质激素受体4基因(MC4R)mRNA表达水平,分析MC4R mRNA表达的发育性变化及其与肌肉肌内脂肪含量的关系。结果发现:湖羊不同肌肉部位MC4R基因表达的发育性变化模式均为先上升后下降。其中3月龄背最长肌、后腿股二头肌和前腿肱二头肌的MC4R mRNA表达水平达到最大,与其余各月龄相比差异显著,而2月龄腰大肌的MC4R mRNA表达水平达到最大,5月龄MC4R mRNA表达水平在湖羊不同部位肌肉间表现有明显差异,但无明显规律,其后各月龄间均无显著差异。结论:湖羊背最长肌、腰大肌和后腿股二头肌MC4R mRNA表达水平与肌内脂肪(IMF)含量呈负相关关系。     

不同毛色獭兔皮肤中黑色素沉积及毛囊发育规律

旨在研究不同毛色成年獭兔在毛囊再生过程中皮肤黑色素沉积以及毛囊发育规律。选用2月龄黑色、白色、青紫蓝色、海狸色、蛋白青色和蛋白黄色獭兔各3只,分成6组,定期采集不同生长时期(拔毛后第7天、14天、21天、28天和35天)的皮肤组织,制作石蜡切片。利用光学显微镜观察不同时期皮肤中黑色素含量及毛囊生长情况,并利用Simple western全自动蛋白表达分析技术检测黑色素合成的限速酶-酪氨酸酶(Tyrosinase,TYR)在拔毛后不同时期獭兔皮肤组织中的蛋白表达水平。结果发现,拔毛后7～21 d,毛囊处于生长期;21～28 d,毛囊由生长期进入退化期;在35 d左右时,毛干脱落,毛囊处于休止期。不同毛色獭兔的毛囊均分布在皮肤真皮层中,且不同时期毛囊在真皮层中的深浅不同;不同毛色獭兔皮肤组织在不同时期黑色素含量不同,均在14～21 d黑色素沉积量达到最高,28～35 d时,沉积量逐渐减少;TYR蛋白在不同时期的不同毛色皮肤组织中均表达,且均在21 d时表达水平最高。由此表明,毛囊再发育过程中,经历生长期、退化期和休止期。在不同时期不同毛色獭兔皮肤组织中黑色素含量变化趋势一致,黑色素合成的限速酶TYR在不同毛色獭兔皮肤中蛋白表达水平均最高,与黑色素沉积情况一致。     

一氧化氮合酶异构体在不同毛色羊驼皮肤毛囊中的存在差异

【目的】研究羊驼皮肤毛囊中一氧化氮合酶(nitric oxide synthases,NOS)的存在差异。【方法】Dopa染色定位黑色素细胞;利用免疫组化和免疫印迹技术对不同毛色羊驼皮肤毛囊中NOS进行定位与定量分析,分析NOS在不同毛色羊驼皮肤毛囊中表达的差异。【结果】Dopa染色显示黑色素细胞存在于羊驼毛囊鞘和毛乳头中。免疫组化结果显示3种NOS在白毛组和棕毛组皮肤毛囊中均有阳性产物。NOS1和NOS3表达呈弱阳性,NOS2表达呈强阳性;NOS1在毛乳头细胞无阳性产物,在白毛组毛囊鞘细胞与棕毛组无显著差异(P0.05);NOS2在棕毛组毛囊鞘细胞与白毛组无显著差异(P0.05),在棕毛组毛乳头细胞极显著高于白毛组(P0.01);NOS3在毛囊鞘细胞无阳性产物,在白毛组毛乳头细胞与棕毛组无显著差异(P0.05)。免疫印迹显示NOS2在棕毛组显著高于白毛组(P0.05)。【结论】NOS2参与调节羊驼毛色形成,为NO信号调节羊驼毛色形成机制的研究提供试验数据。