scholarly journals Isolation and Characterization of a Novel Member of the Relaxin/Insulin Family from the Testis of the Frog Rana esculenta*

Endocrinology ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 142 (7) ◽  
pp. 3231-3238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianluca de Rienzo ◽  
Francesco Aniello ◽  
Margherita Branno ◽  
Sergio Minucci

Abstract A complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding a frog relaxin/insulin member family (fRLX) from testis cDNA library was isolated and characterized. The fRLX cDNA predicted a 155-amino acid protein with a low homology to mammalian RLF and relaxin. Northern blot analysis revealed a single transcript expressed in the interstitial compartment, RT-PCR, evidenced that fRLX is expressed at low levels in the oviduct and ovary too. The predicted mature fRLX protein, composed of the signal peptide, B, C, and A domains, has conserved amino acid sequences in the characteristic functional domains. A different expression of the transcript was found during the frog reproductive cycle, with a peak in Spring. After administration of ethane dimethane sulfonate, by in situ hybridization, fRLX messenger RNA disappeared from the interstitial compartment and reappeared again at the time of generating of a new population of Leydig cells (LC), strongly indicating that LC are the interstitial cell type expressing fRLX. Preliminary results obtained by in situ hybridization, performed on testis of hypophysectomized frogs evidenced a pituitary control of fRLX expression. This study is the first cloning of a relaxin/insulin family member in a nonmammalian vertebrate. In addition, because fRLX expression changes during the annual cycle suggesting its involvement in spermatogenesis, fRLX may be considered a new marker for the study of spermatogenesis in the Rana esculenta.

1999 ◽  
Vol 77 (9) ◽  
pp. 1270-1278
Author(s):  
Ho Bang Kim ◽  
Chung Sun An

A cDNA clone encoding polyubiquitin was isolated from a root nodule cDNA library of Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb. by differential hybridization, and its molecular aspects were characterized. The polyubiquitin clone pEuNOD-PUB1 has an insert size of 1642 bp and has the capacity to code for a 458 amino acid residue polyubiquitin protein. The derived amino acid sequence indicates that pEuNOD-PUB1 encodes a polyprotein consisting of six repeats of ubiquitin monomer, except for the last repeat, which has two additional amino acids (Asp-Phe) to be removed in the course of polyubiquitin processing into monomer. The molecular mass of ubiquitin monomer, consisting of 76 amino acids, was predicted to be 8524 Da, and the pI value was predicted to be 7.57. The nucleotide sequence of ubiquitin monomers from pEuNOD-PUB1 showed 73.1-86.0% sequence similarity with those from other organisms. The polyubiquitin mRNA content was four to six times higher in the root nodules than in the leaves and roots. In situ hybridization results showed polyubiquitin transcripts were strongly detected in the meristem zone, in infected cells of the fixation zone, and in the central vascular system. Genomic Southern hybridization revealed that polyubiquitin genes are present as a small multigene family in the genome of E. umbellata.Key words: Elaeagnus umbellata, root nodule, cDNA, polyubiquitin, Northern hybridization, in situ hybridization.


1989 ◽  
Vol 108 (6) ◽  
pp. 2343-2353 ◽  
Author(s):  
R H Singer ◽  
G L Langevin ◽  
J B Lawrence

We have been able to visualize cytoskeletal messenger RNA molecules at high resolution using nonisotopic in situ hybridization followed by whole-mount electron microscopy. Biotinated cDNA probes for actin, tubulin, or vimentin mRNAs were hybridized to Triton-extracted chicken embryo fibroblasts and myoblasts. The cells were then exposed to antibodies against biotin followed by colloidal gold-conjugated antibodies and then critical-point dried. Identification of mRNA was possible using a probe fragmented to small sizes such that hybridization of several probe fragments along the mRNA was detected as a string of colloidal gold particles qualitatively and quantitatively distinguishable from nonspecific background. Extensive analysis showed that when eight gold particles were seen in this iterated array, the signal to noise ratio was greater than 30:1. Furthermore, these gold particles were colinear, often spiral, or circular suggesting detection of a single nucleic acid molecule. Antibodies against actin, vimentin, or tubulin proteins were used after in situ hybridization, allowing simultaneous detection of the protein and its cognate message on the same sample. This revealed that cytoskeletal mRNAs are likely to be extremely close to actin protein (5 nm or less) and unlikely to be within 20 nm of vimentin or tubulin filaments. Actin mRNA was found to be more predominant in lamellipodia of motile cells, confirming previous results. These results indicate that this high resolution in situ hybridization approach is a powerful tool by which to investigate the association of mRNA with the cytoskeleton.


Author(s):  
Tarja Porkka-Heiskanen ◽  
Jussi Toppila ◽  
Dag Stenberg

Blood ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 76 (10) ◽  
pp. 1946-1955 ◽  
Author(s):  
RA Fava ◽  
TT Casey ◽  
J Wilcox ◽  
RW Pelton ◽  
HL Moses ◽  
...  

We have directly demonstrated that megakaryocytes are a major site of synthesis and storage of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF/beta 1) by combined immunohistochemical, immunocytochemical, and in situ hybridization methods. The presence of TGF/beta 1 messenger RNA (mRNA) in mature megakaryocytes in adult rat spleen and bone marrow (BM) was established by in situ hybridization. Localization of TGF/beta 1 protein to intact alpha-granules of megakaryocytes, its putative storage site, was accomplished in glycol-methacrylate embedded porcine BM with an immunoperoxidase technique and light microscopy. The TGF/beta 1 was sequestered in intracytoplasmic granules in a pattern virtually identical to that of another alpha-granule marker protein, fibrinogen. This observation strongly suggests packaging of TGF/beta 1 into this organelle within megakaryocytes. That TGF/beta 1 mRNA was localized to megakaryocytes suggests that the TGF/beta 1 found in the alpha-granules in platelets originates with megakaryocyte synthesis. The alpha-granule localization of TGF/beta 1, as well as fibrinogen, was also demonstrated in isolated platelets at the ultrastructural level by electronmicroscopy (EM) and postembedding colloidal-gold immunocytochemistry, thus directly demonstrating that alpha-granules are the final storage site for TGF/beta 1 in mature platelets.


2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 545-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malay Choudhury ◽  
Takahiro Oku ◽  
Shoji Yamada ◽  
Masaharu Komatsu ◽  
Keita Kudoh ◽  
...  

AbstractApolipoproteins such as apolipoprotein (apo) A-I, apoA-IV, and apoE are lipid binding proteins synthesized mainly in the liver and the intestine and play an important role in the transfer of exogenous or endogenous lipids through the circulatory system. To investigate the mechanism of lipid transport in fish, we have isolated some novel genes of the apoA-I family, apoIA-I (apoA-I isoform) 1–11, from Japanese eel by PCR amplification. Some of the isolated genes of apoIA-I corresponded to 28kDa-1 cDNAs which had already been deposited into the database and encoded an apolipoprotein with molecular weight of 28 kDa in the LDL, whereas others seemed to be novel genes. The structural organization of all apoIA-Is consisted of four exons separated by three introns. ApoIA-I10 had a total length of 3232 bp, whereas other genes except for apoIA-I9 ranged from 1280 to 1441 bp. The sequences of apoIA-Is at the exon-intron junctions were mostly consistent with the consensus sequence (GT/AG) at exon-intron boundaries, whereas the sequences of 3′ splice acceptor in intron 1 of apoIA-I1-7 were (AC) but not (AG). The deduced amino acid sequences of all apoIA-Is contained a putative signal peptide and a propeptide of 17 and 5 amino acid residues, respectively. The mature proteins of apoIA-I1-3, 7, and 8 consisted of 237 amino acids, whereas those of apoIA-I4-6 consisted of 239 amino acids. The mature apoIA-I10 sequence showed 65% identity to amino acid sequence of apoIA-I11 which was associated with an apolipoprotein with molecular weight of 23 kDa in the VLDL. All these mature apoIA-I sequences satisfied the common structural features depicted for the exchangeable apolipoproteins such as apoA-I, apoA-IV, and apoE but apoIA-I11 lacked internal repeats 7, 8, and 9 when compared with other members of apoA-I family. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these novel apoIA-Is isolated from Japanese eel were much closer to apoA-I than apoA-IV and apoE, suggesting new members of the apoA-I family.


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