Genome-wide identification and expression profile of HD-ZIP genes in physic nut and functional analysis of the JcHDZ16 gene in transgenic rice.

Background: Homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-ZIP) transcription factors play important roles in the growth, development and stress responses of plants, including (presumably) physic nut (Jatropha curcas), which has high drought and salinity tolerance. However, although physic nut's genome has been released, there is little knowledge of the functions, expression profiles and evolutionary histories of the species' HD-ZIP genes.

Results: In this study, 32 HD-ZIP genes were identified in the physic nut genome (JcHDZs) and divided into four groups (I-IV) based on phylogenetic analysis with homologs from rice, maize and Arabidopsis.

Interferon regulatory factor 4b (IRF4b) in Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus: Sequencing, ubiquitous tissue distribution and inducible expression by poly(I:C) and DNA virus.

Interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) in mammals is known to be critical in regulation of development and functions of lymphomyeloid cell lineages. Recent studies have demonstrated its involvement in immune responses to bacterial and viral challenges in teleosts. In this study, an IRF4 gene was cloned from Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) and its expression in response to polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid [poly(I:C)] and lymphocystis disease virus (LCDV) stimulations was studied in vivo.

Characteristics of the interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) and its expression in response to LCDV and poly I:C challenges in Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus.

Interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) has been identified as a key transcriptional mediator regulating expression of both type I interferons (IFNs) and proinflammatory cytokines. In this study, the cDNA and genomic sequences of IRF5 were isolated from Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. The gene of Japanese flounder (Jf)IRF5 is 7326 bp long, contains 9 exons and 8 introns and encodes a putative protein of 472 amino acids.

An IRF-3 homolog that is up-regulated by DNA virus and poly I:C in turbot, Scophthalmus maximus.

In this study, we described the structure, mRNA tissue distribution and regulation of an IRF-3 gene from turbot, Scophthalmus maximus (SmIRF-3). The gene sequence of SmIRF-3 is 6077 bp long, composed of 11 exons and 10 introns similar to known IRF-3 genes of fish, and encodes a peptide of 466 amino acids. The deduced protein sequence shares the highest identity of 56.

Cloning and expression analysis of interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF-7) in turbot, Scophthalmus maximus.

Interferon regulatory factor (IRF) 7 is known as the master regulator of type I interferon (IFN)-dependent immune responses in mammals. In this study, the cDNA and genomic sequences of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) IRF-7 (SmIRF-7) were cloned and found to encode a putative protein of 439 amino acids. The gene is composed of 10 exons and 9 introns similar to known IRF-7 genes of fish.

Interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3) in Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus: sequencing, limited tissue distribution, inducible expression and induction of fish type I interferon promoter.

Two cDNAs with different 3'-untranslated region (UTR) encoding an interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3) were cloned from head kidney of Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) methods. Sequence analysis reveals that they were generated by alternative polyadenylation. The predicted protein consists of 467 amino acid residues which shares the highest identity of 50.