title: A genome-wide identification and classification of basic helix-loop-helix genes in the jewel wasp, Nasonia vitripennis (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae).
abstract: Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins are highly conserved DNA-binding transcription factors of a large superfamily. Animal bHLH proteins play important regulatory roles in various developmental processes such as neurogenesis, myogenesis, heart development, and hematopoiesis. The jewel wasp (Nasonia vitripennis) is a good model organism of hymenoptera insects for studies of developmental and evolutionary genetics. In this study, we identified 48 bHLH genes in the genome of N. vitripennis. According to phylogenetic analysis, based on N. vitripennis bHLH (NvbHLH) motif sequences and structural domain distribution in their full-length protein sequences, the identified NvbHLH genes were classified into 36 bHLH families with 19, 12, 9, 1, 6, and 1 member(s) in groups A, B, C, D, E, and F, respectively. Our classification to the identified NvbHLH family members confirms GenBank annotations for 21 of the 48 NvbHLH proteins and provides useful information for further characterization and annotation of the remaining 27 NvbHLH proteins. Compared to other insect species, N. vitripennis has the lowest number of bHLH family members. No NvbHLH members have been found in the families Net, MyoRa, and PTFa, while all other insect species have at least one member in each of the families. These data constitute a solid basis for further investigations into the functions of bHLH proteins in developmental regulation of N. vitripennis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Ting
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xu-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xia-Fang
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Ke-Ping
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D017344:Genes, Insect; D049750:Genome, Insect; D018257:Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs / Q000235:genetics; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D005810:Multigene Family; D014863:Wasps / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins
keywords: BLAST search; Nasonia vitripennis; analyse phylogénétique; basic helix-loop-helix; interrogation BLAST; motif basique hélice-boucle-hélice; ortholog; orthologue; phylogenetic analysis