title: Differential expression of two vasa/PL10-related genes during gametogenesis in the special model system Rana.
abstract: Germline cell fate decisions are primarily controlled at the post-transcriptional level with DEAD-box RNA helicases playing a crucial role in germline development. In this study, we report the identification of two DEAD-box vasa/PL10 orthologues (RlVlg and RlPL10) in a species complex of the genus Rana, characterized by hybridogenetic reproduction, an enigmatic process that involves the exclusion of an individual genome, and endoreduplication events. Both genes were expressed during the early stages of gametogenesis of R. ridibunda, R. lessonae, and their natural hybrid R. esculenta. RlVlg expression was germline specific. On the other hand, RlPL10 was also expressed in somatic tissues, although only at low levels. The two genes were expressed in different phases of mitotic and meiotic spermatogenetic divisions as demonstrated by immunostaining with an anti-H3 phosphohistone antibody. The data indicate that RlVlg and RlPL10 may represent useful markers for dissecting the molecular aspects of genome exclusion and endoreduplication of the hybridogenetic gametogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di Biologia Cellulare e dello Sviluppo, Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, Via Carducci 13, 56010 Ghezzano, Pisa, Italy, smarracci@biologia.unipi.it
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marracci
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casola
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bucci
authors.forename: Matilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ragghianti
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogielska
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mancino
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005718:Gametogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011898:Ranidae / Q000235:genetics*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases