Apis mellifera has two isoforms of cytoplasmic HSP90.
Unlike most other insects, annotated genomic data suggest that Apis mellifera has two homologous copies of the cytoplasmic gene HSP90. In this study, we did a phylogenetic analysis on these two copies with some other insects HSP90 genes, and we also manipulated a reverse transcript (RT)-PCR to find all the putative transcripts for both copies. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that A. mellifera possesses two isoforms of cytoplasmic HSP90: The 'traditional' isoform clusters with cytoplasmic HSP90 of other insects. The other isoform, which occurs phylogenetically as the sister group of all insects, may be a new gene and specific to A. mellifera. The results of RT-PCR indicate that this new isoform contains at least eight transcripts derived from the same genomic locus by complicated alternative splicing (GenBank accession numbers: FJ713701, FJ713702, FJ713703, FJ713704, FJ713705, FJ713706, FJ713707 and FJ713708, respectively). The existence of this specific HSP90 might be related to the caste differentiation of bees.
Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China.
P J
PJ
Xu
J H
JH
Xiao
Q Y
QY
Xia
B
B
Murphy
D W
DW
Huang
D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000235:genetics*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D016678:Genome / Q000235:genetics; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012333:RNA, Messenger