title: Ovarian follicle cells are the site of vitellogenin synthesis in the Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai.
abstract: Only a few biochemical and molecular studies on yolk proteins (vitellins) have been carried out in mollusks, mainly in bivalves, while information on prosobranch vitellogenesis is still limited. In this study, we cloned a full-length cDNA encoding vitellogenin (Vg) in the Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai. The complete Vg cDNA consists of 7753 nucleotides with a long open reading frame encoding 2391 amino acid residues. The deduced primary structure contains the N-terminal amino acid sequences of the 95 kDa and 150 kDa subunits of vitellin of the abalone and shows similarities to Vgs of other mollusk, fish, nematode and coral species. In common with bivalve Vgs, the abalone Vg gene was expressed only in the ovary. In situ hybridization analysis further localized Vg mRNA to the follicle cells in the ovary. We conclude that the follicle cells are the site of Vg synthesis in H. discus hannai.
authors.affiliation: National Research Institute of Aquaculture, Minami-ise, Mie 516-0193 Japan.
authors.forename: Toshie
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamano
authors.forename: Makiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hara
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005260:Female; D049851:Gastropoda / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D015870:Gene Expression; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D014818:Vitellogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014819:Vitellogenins