title: Molecular cloning of P450 aromatase from the leopard gecko and its expression in the ovary.
abstract: In this study, we identified the cDNA of P450 aromatase in the leopard gecko, a lizard with temperature-dependent sex determination. The cDNA encodes a putative protein of 505 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of leopard gecko aromatase cDNA showed 80% identity with that of turtles, 70% with humans and 77% with chickens. This is the first report of the identification of P450 aromatase cDNA in squamata species. It has been reported that this gene is expressed in different layers of cells in the ovary of mammalian species and avian species. Thus, we also investigated cells expressing the mRNA of this gene in the ovary of the leopard gecko by RT-PCR and in situ hybridization. The mRNA expression of leopard gecko P450 aromatase was localized in both the thecal and granulosa cell layers in the ovary. The expression in thecal and granulosa cell layers was examined in the largest follicle, second largest follicle and third largest follicle by RT-PCR. A higher level of mRNA expression was observed in the granulosa cell layer of the second largest follicle than in other cell layers. This result may reflect the characteristics of follicles in species with automonochronic ovulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Min Kyun
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001141:Aromatase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008116:Lizards; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010053:Ovary / Q000201:enzymology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011487:Protein Conformation; D015347:RNA Probes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014426:Turtles
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D015347:RNA Probes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D001141:Aromatase