title: Molecular and expression characterization of two somatostatin genes in the Chinese sturgeon, Acipenser sinensis.
abstract: Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis) is a rare and endangered species and also an important resource for the sturgeon aquaculture industry. SMART cDNA was synthesized from the hypothalamus of Chinese sturgeon, and the full-length cDNAs of two somatostatin (SS) genes were cloned and sequenced. The first cDNA (AsSS1) encodes a 116-amino acid protein that contains the SS(14) sequence at its C-terminal extremity. AsSS1 shows high identity to that of human and other vertebrates. The second cDNA (AsSS2) encodes a 111-amino acid protein that contains the somatostatin variant [Pro(2)]-SS(14) at its C-terminal extremity. Both the two SS mRNAs were expressed in brain and pituitary with different mRNA levels. But in peripheral tissues, AsSS2 was more widely distributed than AsSS1. High mRNA levels of AsSS2 were found in liver, kidney and heart, while low mRNA levels of AsSS2 were also detected in ovary. Throughout embryogenesis and early larval development only AsSS2 mRNAs were detected. Furthermore, in the hypothalamus of one to five year-old Chinese sturgeon, AsSS2 but not AsSS1 maintained stable expression. The mRNA distribution suggests that the Chinese sturgeon AsSS2 products play important physiological functions in adult fish as well as in cell growth and organ differentiation in embryo and larva development.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture of China, Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Science, Jingzhou 434000, China.
authors.forename: Chuang-Ju
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qi-Wei
authors.initials: QW
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jian-Fang
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Gui
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D013004:Somatostatin