Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence of equine retinal and pineal gland phosducin

OBJECTIVES: To determine the full-length complementary DNA (cDNA) sequence of equine retinal and pineal gland phosducin (PHD) and to clone these sequences. SAMPLE POPULATION: Samples of equine retinal RNA. PROCEDURE: A primer set was designed for use in identifying a fragment of the equine PHD nucleotide sequence, derived from retinal RNA samples, and subsequently for use to deduce specific primers for additional examination. The full-length cDNA was determined by the method of rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). For full-length cDNA, newly designed primers were used. Nucleotide sequences were analyzed by use of computer software. The deduced amino acid sequence was compared with sequences of PHD reported for other species. In addition, the sequence of equine pineal PHD was cloned. RESULTS: The cDNA nucleotide sequence for equine PHD was 1,209 base pairs (bp) in length with an open-reading frame encoding a protein of 245 amino acids and a calculated molecular mass of 28.214 kd. Similarity with amino acid sequences of PHD from other species was 89 to 93%. Sequences of equine PHD from retina and pineal gland were identical. Equine PHD contained a peptide sequence with 100% homology to an uveitopathogenic peptide reported for rat PHD. CONCLUSIONS: Equine PHD is a highly conserved protein that has homology of immunologic interest with rat PHD. These results establish a basis for studying the role of PHD in ocular inflammation of horses.     

Molecular cloning of cDNA for equine follistatin and its gene expression in the reproductive tissues of the mare.

A cDNA clone encoding equine follistatin was isolated from an equine ovarian cDNA library. Out of 1.2 x 10(5) independent clones screened, one positive clone was isolated and its cDNA sequence determined. The isolated clone, named EQ-FS-1, contained a complete open reading frame encoding 344 amino acid residues. The similarity of its deduced amino acid sequence to these of other mammalian species was greater than 95%. Although its expression level varied among the tissues examined, follistatin mRNA was detected in the equine uteroplacental tissues, follicles and corpora lutea by Northern blot analysis. In situ hybridization revealed that the expression of follistatin mRNA in the equine follicle was restricted exclusively to granulosa cells. When the expression pattern of follistatin mRNA in the equine uteroplacental tissues from mid- to late-pregnancy was examined, it was shown that its expression level tended to decrease after mid-pregnancy. These results suggest that follistatin acts in the reproductive tissues of the mare in maintaining pregnancy.     

Molecular characterization and functional expression of equine interleukin-1 type I and type II receptor cDNAs

cDNA generated from lipopolysaccharide-stimulated equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells was used to amplify and clone type I and type II equine interleukin-1 receptors (IL-1RI and IL-1RII) using primers derived from semi-conserved regions between human and mouse IL-1RI and IL-1RII sequences, respectively. 5' and 3' terminal sequences of equine IL-1RI and IL-1RII were amplified by 5' and 3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The deduced amino acid sequence of equine IL-1RI demonstrated 77, 64 and 63% similarity with human, mouse and rat sequences, respectively. The predicted amino acid sequence of equine IL-1RII demonstrated 70, 60 and 58% similarity with human, mouse and rat sequences, respectively. Recombinant equine soluble IL-1RI and IL-1RII produced in insect cells bound recombinant equine IL-1alpha and IL-1beta. Furthermore, both receptors suppressed the growth inhibitory activities of equine IL-1alpha and IL-1beta toward A375 cells in a dose-dependent manner, indicating that the present equine IL-1RI and IL-1RII cDNA encodes biologically active proteins.     

Molecular cloning and characterization of equine NK-lysin

NK-lysin is an antimicrobial peptide of cytotoxic and NK lymphocytes that has powerful antibacterial properties as well as antitumoral activity. Here we report the full-length cDNA and deduced amino acid sequence for equine NK-lysin. Equine NK-lysin is 67% identical to porcine NK-lysin, 53% identical to bovine NK-lysin and 41% identical to granulysin in amino acid sequence. Complete conservation of cysteine residues between equine, bovine and porcine NK-lysin suggests similar disulfide bonding patterns among these peptides. Equine NK-lysin has the most positive surface charge when compared with other homologues. Similar to expression profiles in other species, equine NK-lysin is constitutively transcribed in various lymphocytes that include CD4+ and CD8+ staining cells. These findings suggest that equine NK-lysin, similar in cDNA sequence to the porcine, bovine and human homologues may play a role in antimicrobial defense.     

MCT1, MCT4 and CD147 gene polymorphisms in healthy horses and horses with myopathy

Polymorphisms in human lactate transporter proteins (monocarboxylate transporters; MCTs), especially the MCT1 isoform, can affect lactate transport activity and cause signs of exercise-induced myopathy. Muscles express MCT1, MCT4 and CD147, an ancillary protein, indispensable for the activity of MCT1 and MCT4. We sequenced the coding sequence (cDNA) of horse MCT4 for the first time and examined polymorphisms in the cDNA of MCT1, MCT4 and CD147 of 16 healthy horses. To study whether signs of myopathy are linked to the polymorphisms, biopsy samples were taken from 26 horses with exercise-induced recurrent myopathy. Two polymorphisms that cause a change in amino acid sequence were found in MCT1 (Val₄₃₂Ile and Lys₄₅₇Gln) and one in CD147 (Met₁₂₅Val). All polymorphisms in MCT4 were silent. Mutations in MCT1 or CD147 in equine muscle were not associated with myopathy. In the future, a functional study design is needed to evaluate the physiological role of the polymorphisms found.     

MCT1, MCT4 and CD147 gene polymorphisms in healthy horses and horses with myopathy

Polymorphisms in human lactate transporter proteins (monocarboxylate transporters; MCTs), especially the MCT1 isoform, can affect lactate transport activity and cause signs of exercise-induced myopathy. Muscles express MCT1, MCT4 and CD147, an ancillary protein, indispensable for the activity of MCT1 and MCT4. We sequenced the coding sequence (cDNA) of horse MCT4 for the first time and examined polymorphisms in the cDNA of MCT1, MCT4 and CD147 of 16 healthy horses. To study whether signs of myopathy are linked to the polymorphisms, biopsy samples were taken from 26 horses with exercise-induced recurrent myopathy. Two polymorphisms that cause a change in amino acid sequence were found in MCT1 (Val₄₃₂Ile and Lys₄₅₇Gln) and one in CD147 (Met₁₂₅Val). All polymorphisms in MCT4 were silent. Mutations in MCT1 or CD147 in equine muscle were not associated with myopathy. In the future, a functional study design is needed to evaluate the physiological role of the polymorphisms found.     

紫花苜蓿柠檬酸合成酶基因的克隆及对烟草的转化

柠檬酸合成酶是调节植物体内有机酸的活性酶之一,增加植物体内的柠檬酸可以提高植物对土壤中磷的吸收以及抗铝毒性。通过从紫花苜蓿(Medicago sativa L.)中克隆柠檬酸合成酶基因(MsCS),以期获得该基因全长,并为将来研究紫花苜蓿耐铝性以及对磷的吸收方向提供基础。首先利用cDNA末端快速扩增方法(RACE),克隆获得MsCS的cDNA全序列,然后利用pBI121构建植物超表达载体pBI-MsCS,通过农杆菌介导的叶盘法转化烟草(Nicotiana tabacum L.)。结果显示:该基因序列全长为2031 bp,开放阅读框1551 bp,编码517个氨基酸,与其他物种的柠檬酸合成酶具有高度的同源性。获得17株卡那抗性植株。经PCR检测有6株为阳性植株,初步表明该基因已整合到烟草的基因组中。     

Molecular cloning, sequencing, and expression of equine interleukin-6

Equine interleukin-6 (IL-6) cDNA was amplified from mitogen-stimulated equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using consensus sequence primers. The 727bp amplified cDNA contains the entire coding region for equine IL-6 and includes 118 bases in the 3' non-translated region. The coding sequence translates to a protein of 208 amino acids with a predicted 28 amino acid leader sequence. The mature protein of 180 amino acids has a predicted molecular mass of 20471Da without post-translational modifications. The amino acid sequence of equine IL-6 displays between 46 and 84% similarity to other mammalian IL-6 sequences. Expression of equine IL-6 in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells yielded a supernatant that supported the proliferation of B9 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment of B9 cells with an anti-IL-6 receptor antibody ablated the response to the recombinant equine IL-6.     

Molecular cloning and sequencing of equine cDNA encoding serum amyloid A (SAA)

The serum amyloid A (SAA) protein is a characteristic and sensitive acute phase reactant in all vertebrates investigated. We molecularly cloned the equine cDNA encoding SAA from the liver of a healthy horse by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The cloned cDNA is 480 bases in length, and contains an open reading frame (ORF) of 387 nucleotides encoding a precursor SAA protein of 128 amino acids. The precursor of horse SAA seems to have an 18-residue signal peptide and differs from the reported amino acid sequences of the horse SAA by substitution of valine at residue 81. It shows high homology with SAA amino acid sequence of other species such as dog (80.6%), mink (77.5%), human (76.9%) and duck (71.9%). An insertion of eight amino acids at residues between 85 and 92, as compared to human SAA, has also been found in horse SAA. The availability of the equine SAA cDNA will provide a useful reagent for studying its role in diseased horses.     

Cloning and sequence analysis of the complementary DNA for feline preproparathyroid hormone

OBJECTIVES: To clone and sequence the cDNA for feline preproparathyroid hormone (preproPTH) and to compare that sequence with other known parathyroid hormone (PTH) sequences. SAMPLE POPULATION: Parathyroid glands from 1 healthy cat. PROCEDURES: A cDNA library was constructed in lambda phage from feline parathyroid gland mRNA and screened with a radiolabeled canine PTH probe. Positive clones were sequenced, and nucleic acid and deduced amino acid sequences were analyzed and compared with known preproPTH and PTH sequences. RESULTS: Screening of approximately 2 X 10(5) recombinant plaques revealed 3 that hybridized with the canine PTH probe; 2 clones comprised the complete sequence for feline preproPTH. Feline preproPTH cDNA consisted of a 63-base pair (bp) 5'-untranslated region (UTR), a 348-bp coding region, and a 326-bp 3'-UTR. The coding region encoded a 115-amino acid peptide. Mature feline PTH consisted of 84 amino acids. Amino acid sequence analysis revealed that feline PTH was > 83% identical to canine, bovine, swine, equine, human, and macaque PTH and 69, 71, and 44% identical to mouse, rat, and chicken PTH, respectively. Within the region responsible for hormonal activity (amino acids 1 to 34), feline PTH was > 79% identical to other mammalian PTH sequences and 64% identical to the chicken sequence. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The amino acid sequence of PTH is conserved among mammalian species. Knowledge of the cDNA sequence for feline PTH may be useful to investigate disturbances of calcium metabolism and alterations in PTH expression in cats.     

Molecular cloning of equine chromogranin A and its expression in endocrine and exocrine tissues

Chromogranin A (CGA) is a member of a family of highly acidic proteins co-stored and co-released with catecholamines in the adrenal medullary cells as well as in other neurons and paraneurons. The nucleotide sequence encoding equine CGA was determined using RT-PCR and rapid amplification of complementary DNA (cDNA) ends (RACE) techniques. A total 1,828 bp of the nucleotide sequence reveals that equine CGA is a 448-residue protein preceded by an 18-residue signal peptide. Comparison of the amino acid sequence of equine CGA with those of human, porcine, bovine, mouse, rat and frog CGA showed high conservation at the NH2-terminal 1-77 amino acids regions (94.8%, 93.5%, 92.2%, 81.8%, 83.1% and 66.2%, respectively) and COOH-terminal 314-430 amino acids regions (90.6%, 81.4%, 90.6%, 80.5%, 83.3% and 39.0%, respectively), as well as a potential dibasic cleavage site, whereas the middle portion showed marked sequence variation (52.5%, 49.1%, 38.9%, 26.6%, 27.9% and 6.2%, respectively). Northern blot analysis and RT-PCR elucidated the tissue distribution of equine CGA mRNA. Its expression was confirmed not only in the adrenal medullary cells but also in other organs (cerebrum, cerebellum, pituitary gland, spinal cord, liver, thyroid gland, striated muscle, lung, spleen, kidney, parotid gland and sublingual gland). Further, in adrenal chromaffin cells and pituitary cells of the anterior-intermediate lobe, the expression was confirmed by in situ hybridization with anti-sense CGA cRNA probe.     

Genomic characterization of equine interleukin-4 receptor alpha-chain (IL4R)

Three overlapping fragments of the equine interleukin-4 receptor alpha chain gene (IL4R) were cloned and sequenced. The resulting 3553 bp cDNA sequence exhibited homology to human, murine and bovine IL4R. The equine IL4R exhibits many conserved features when compared to other species, including intron-exon boundary positions and amino acid sequence motifs characteristic of type I cytokine receptors. The IL4R gene was localized to horse chromosome ECA13 by synteny mapping on a somatic cell hybrid panel. Evidence for an alternative splice variant of IL4R was found in the genomic sequence and subsequently verified using RT-PCR on equine monocyte RNA. A polymorphism screen of the largest exon, homologous to exon 12 of the human IL4R gene, was performed using DNA from 60 horses of various breeds which yielded 11 coding-region single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 7 synonymous and 4 non-synonymous. Three of the four non-synonymous SNPs occur at high frequencies and are found very near a conserved tyrosine residue.     

Cloning and Sequence Analysis of N and M Genes of Avian Infectious Bronchitis Virus Guangxi Strain

To investigate genetic variation of avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) in Guangxi province,one strain of IBV was isolated from chicken.Two pairs of primers for amplifying the N and M genes of IBV were designed according to the sequences in GenBank.The N and M genes of the strain were amplified by RT-PCR,and they were proved to be the N and M genes of IBV by cloning,sequencing and compared with reference IBV strains published in GenBank.The results showed that the N gene from the IBV isolate consisted of 1 230 bp,coding 409 amino acids.The M gene from the IBV isolate consisted of 678 bp,coding 225 amino acids.The sequence analysis of N gene showed that it shared 87.2% to 93.3% nucleotide homologies and 90.0% to 94.4% deduced amino acid sequence homologies with IBV strains from GenBank.The M gene sequence analysis showed that it shared 83.6% to 91.0% nucleotide homologies and 82.7% to 92.9% deduced amino acid sequence homologies.The phylogenetic tree analysis showed that it was closely related to BJ and LX4 strains,and were clustered into one group;But with the distant relatives from other strains of IBV.These results suggested that the isolate was a new variant of IBV.     

鸡传染性支气管炎病毒广西株N、M基因的克隆与序列分析

为研究鸡传染性支气管炎病毒(IBV)广西流行株的遗传变异情况,本研究从广西发病鸡中分离鉴定了1株IBV。参照GenBank中IBV的核苷酸序列设计2对引物,利用RT-PCR技术对分离毒株的N、M基因进行了克隆、序列测定,并与GenBank中发表的国内外参考毒株进行比对分析。结果显示,N基因序列全长为1 230 bp,编码409个氨基酸,M基因序列全长为678 bp,编码225个氨基酸。与参考毒株相比,分离株的N基因核苷酸序列同源性为87.2%~93.3%,推导的氨基酸序列同源性为90.0%~94.4%;M基因的核苷酸序列同源性为83.6%~91.0%,推导的氨基酸序列同源性为82.7%~92.9%。在遗传进化树中,本试验分离株Guangxi156株与BJ株和LX4株两个参考株位于同一个分支上,亲缘关系较近,而与其他参考株属于不同的分支,亲缘关系较远。结果表明,本试验分离株是一株新的IBV变异株。     

Cloning and characterization of cDNA encoding a prohibitin-like protein from Theileria orientalis

A cDNA clone encoding a prohibitin-like protein (Toprh) was isolated from a piroplasm cDNA library of Theileria orientalis and its nucleotide sequence was determined. An open reading frame, encoding a polypeptide of 278 amino acid residues, was found in Toprh cDNA sequence. An intron of 89 bp was identified when this cDNA clone was compared with the Toprh gene in the genome of T. orientalis. The deduced amino acid sequence of Toprh shares 93.8, 93.1 and 69.1% identities with the prohibitins of T. parva (from chromosome 1), T. annulata (from chromosome 1), and Plasmodium falciparum, (from chromosome 10), respectively. By Western blot analysis, Toprh was found to be expressed in the piroplasm stage of the parasites.     

拟南芥高亲和性K+载体蛋白基因cDNA克隆及其序列特征分析

以NaCl胁迫处理的拟南芥幼苗叶片为材料,用RNA提取试剂盒抽提总RNA,通过RT-PCR技术和DNA序列测定分析,证实获得了拟南芥高亲和性K⁺载体蛋白基因(AtHKT1)的cDNA序列。该cDNA全长1521 bp,包括506个氨基酸和1个终止密码子序列,且与原序列(accession number AF237672)同源性为99.34%,但与其他科植物HKT1基因同源性较低,注册该基因到GenBank中,注册号为AY685182。利用生物信息学相关软件分析预测AtHKT1基因蛋白质功能和结构,结果发现,该蛋白分子量为57.45 kD,理论等电点为9.33;氨基酸序列中第1～40个氨基酸属信号肽序列;第152～500个氨基酸属Trk H阳离子转运体蛋白保守结构域,并存在蛋白激酶C,酪氨酸蛋白激酶,依赖cAMP/cGMP蛋白激酶磷酸化,糖基化和豆蔻酰化等功能位点;该基因编码的蛋白有10个跨膜结构,N末端、C末端及中部等多个跨膜区具疏水性,符合载体类运输蛋白特点。表明本研究获得了拟南芥AtHKT1基因。