title: Glutamine synthetase in tilapia gastrointestinal tract: zonation, cDNA and induction by cortisol.
abstract: Glutamine synthetase, an enzyme generally associated with ammonia detoxication in the vertebrate brain and with hepatic nitrogen turnover in mammals, shows substantial activities in the gastrointestinal tract of teleostean fishes. Enzyme activity is highest in the central area of the stomach and reveals a distinct distribution pattern in stomach and along the intestine of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and copper rockfish (Sebastes caurinus). In all three species, intestinal activity peaks in the distal region of the intestine. The brain contains the highest titre of the enzyme (46 U g(-1) in tilapia brain versus 15 U g(-1) in tilapia stomach), but because of the relative mass of the stomach, the largest glutamine synthetase pool in tilapia body appears to be localized in the stomach. Activities in white and red muscle are very modest at 0.1% of the brain. Independent of distribution, peak activities of glutamine synthetase in selected areas of tilapia stomach and intestine are significantly (two- to fourfold) increased after a 5-day treatment with an intraperitoneal cortisol deposit. Cortisol also increases glutamine synthetase activity in tilapia liver, white and red muscle, while activities in brain remain unaffected. We cloned and sequenced the predominant transcript of tilapia stomach glutamine synthetase (about 1.9 kb), encoding a 371-amino acid peptide. The open reading frame shows considerable identity with glutamine synthetase in toadfish (92% at peptide level, 87% at nucleotide level), but possesses a longer 3'-untranslated region than the toadfish. The tilapia glutamine synthetase mRNA contains a remnant of a putative mitochondrial leader sequence, but without a conserved second site for initiation of translation. We also find evidence for additional transcripts of glutamine synthetase in tilapia, suggesting multiple genes. Finally, we present evidence for similar abundance of glutamine synthetase transcripts in all regions of rockfish intestine. The physiological significance of the presence of glutamine synthetase in teleostean intestine is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 3055, Victoria, B.C., V8W 3P6, Canada. tpmom@uvic.ca
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Mommsen
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Busby
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: von Schalburg
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Osachoff
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Elliott
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000201:enzymology*; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017210:Tilapia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase; D006854:Hydrocortisone