Molecular and expression analysis of apolipoprotein E gene in the Chinese sturgeon, Acipenser sinensis.
Apolipoproteins are carrier proteins that bind to lipids to form lipoprotein particles and have been shown to play an important role in lipid metabolism. In this study, a full-length cDNA for apolipoprotein E, named AsapoE, was cloned from the Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis). This cDNA sequence is 1289 bp in length, and codes for a polypeptide of 274 amino acid residues, which is 45% and 42% identical to that of the rainbow trout and zebrafish, respectively, and 39%, 30%, and 29% identical to frog, mouse, and human respectively. The predicted AsApoE protein has a conserved amphipathic α-helix region with the potential to bind to lipids. RT-PCR analysis reveals that AsapoE is expressed in all tissues examined with a preferential expression in the kidney and liver. During the embryo development stage, AsapoE mRNA is low but still detectable at gastrula stage embryos; then AsapoE mRNAs reach a higher level in muscle contraction stage embryos, this relatively stable expression persists during the following embryogenic stages and declines 1 day after hatching. These results will serve as a basis for comparative studies on vertebrate apoE genes.
Li
Chuang-Ju
CJ
Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Science, Wuxi 214081, China.
Gan
Fang
F
Chen
Xi-Hua
XH
Liu
Zhi-Gang
ZG
Li
Luo-Xin
LX
Wei
Qi-Wei
QW
Tang
Yong-Kai
YK
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005399:Fishes / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013045:Species Specificity
D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D012333:RNA, Messenger