Screening of hibernation-related genes in the brain of Rhinolophus ferrumequinum during hibernation.
The greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) is a widely distributed small mammal that hibernates annually. A systematic study was initiated to identify differentially expressed genes in hibernating and aroused states of the greater horseshoe bat brain by using suppressed subtractive hybridization technique and dot blot. Forty-one over-expressed ESTs in the hibernating state were found and 17 were known genes reported in NCBI. Among these 17 genes, three were further checked by real time PCR. The bioinformatics analysis suggests that the major over-expressed ESTs may be responsible for the regulation of cell cycle and apoptosis, the growth of neurons, signal transduction and neuroprotection, gene expression regulation, and intracellular trafficking.
South China Institute of Endangered Animals, Guangzhou, 510260, China.
Jinping
J
Chen
Lihong
L
Yuan
Min
M
Sun
Libiao
L
Zhang
Shuyi
S
Zhang
D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal / Q000235:genetics; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015723:Gene Library; D006605:Hibernation / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction