title: Identification and expression pattern of Bmlark, a homolog of the Drosophila gene lark in Bombyx mori.
abstract: Two Bombyx mori isoforms of the gene lark, which is shown to play an important role in Drosophila circadian rhythms, were identified and named Bmlark-PA and Bmlark-PB, respectively. Bmlark-PA consists of 5 exons and encodes a protein of 343 amino acid residues which contains 3 functional domains: two RRM (RNA recognization motif) domains and an RTZF (retroviral-type zinc finger) and shares 72% identity with the Drosophila gene lark at the amino acid level. Bmlark-PB lacks the sequence between 118 and 791 nt of Bmlark-PA and codes for a protein of 68 amino acid residues, which contains no distinct functional domains. Alignments of the cDNAs of Bmlark to the genomic draft sequence of B. mori showed that the gene Bmlark had a single copy in the genome, suggesting that an alternative splicing mechanism occurs in the gene Bmlark. RT-PCR analysis indicated that Bmlark-PA was expressed only in late pupae and adult but Bmlark-PB was broadly expressed in many tissues and throughout the developmental stages from embryo to adult.
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Sericulture of Agriculture University of Sericulture and Biotechnology, Southwest Agricultural University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Zi-Long
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qing-You
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Xing-Fu
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Zha
authors.forename: Zhong-Huai
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Xiang
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D012831:Bombyx / Q000235:genetics*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D004330:Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005091:Exons; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D015870:Gene Expression; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017344:Genes, Insect; D019476:Insect Proteins; D007438:Introns; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012984:Software; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; C105214:Lark protein, Drosophila; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins