Structural and expression analyses of two vitellogenin genes in the carp, Cyprinus carpio.
We cloned and sequenced two vitellogenin (vg) cDNAs of the carp, Cyprinus carpio, using a cDNA library constructed from estradiol-17 beta (E2)-treated livers. One was a novel, longer 5000 bp-long cDNA termed vg-B2 encoding 1624 amino acids in a single open reading frame. The other was a shorter cDNA (vg-B1), identical to that registered previously as carp vg cDNA in the international nucleotide sequence database. The deduced amino acid sequences of these two molecules were well-aligned with known vertebrate Vgs sharing common characteristics such as N-terminal lipovitellin I (LVI), phosvitin (PV) and C-terminal lipovitellin II (LVII). The novel Vg-B2 bore a highly conserved GL/ICG motif within the LVII region, in contrast to the shorter Vg-B1 that has a truncated C-terminal and lacks the beta-component within the LVII region including the GL/ICG motif. Both vg-B2 and vg-B1 genes were expressed in the livers of females and E2-injected males. Western blot analysis using anti-Vg and anti-vitellin (Vn) antisera demonstrated that both Vg-B2 and Vg-B1 were detected as polypeptides with an estimated molecular mass of 180 kDa and 160 kDa, respectively, in the blood of females and E2-injected males. The results suggest the potential utilization of these genes as sensitive xenoestrogenic markers.
Kang
B J
BJ
Department of Molecular Biology, Dongeui University, Busan 614-714, Republic of Korea.
Jung
J-H
JH
Lee
J M
JM
Lim
S-G
SG
Saito
H
H
Kim
M H
MH
Kim
Y-J
YJ
Saigusa
M
M
Han
C-H
CH
D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D002347:Carps / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004958:Estradiol / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012313:RNA; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*