title: Oocytes express an endogenous red fluorescent protein in a stony coral, Euphyllia ancora: a potential involvement in coral oogenesis.
abstract: To date,the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying coral sexual reproduction remain largely unknown. We then performed a differential screen to identify genes related to oogenesis in the stony coral Euphyllia ancora. We identified a clone encoding a novel red fluorescent protein cDNA of E. ancora (named EaRFP). Microscopic observation and quantitative RT-PCR revealed that EaRFP is almost exclusively expressed in the ovary of the adult coral. The combination of the ovarian-cell separation method and the RT-PCR analysis revealed that the oocytes, but not the ovarian somatic cells, are the cells expressing EaRFP. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the expression of EaRFP starts in the early stage of the oocyte and continues until the maturation period. Furthermore, recombinant EaRFP was shown to possess an H2O2 degradation activity. These results raise the possibility that EaRFP plays a role in protecting the oocytes from oxidative stress from the early to late stages of oogenesis. The present study provides not only the first evidence for the potential involvement of FPs in coral oogenesis but also an insight into a cellular strategy underlying coral sexual reproduction.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Marine Environment and Ecology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 20224, Taiwan.|Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 20224, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shikina
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 20224, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 20224, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Jou
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 20224, Taiwan.|Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chieh-Jhen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Tungkang Biotechnology Research Center, Fisheries Research Institute, Tungkang, 20246, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yan-Horn
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 20224, Taiwan.|Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 20224, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ching-Fong
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005260:Female; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D009866:Oogenesis; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D000097573:Red Fluorescent Protein
chemical_list: D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D000097573:Red Fluorescent Protein