title: Molecular and expression analysis of apolipoprotein E gene in the Chinese sturgeon, Acipenser sinensis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Science, Wuxi 214081, China.
authors.forename: Chuang-Ju
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.forename: Xi-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhi-Gang
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Luo-Xin
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qi-Wei
authors.initials: QW
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Yong-Kai
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D012333:RNA, Messenger