Molecular characterization of Japanese sillago vitellogenin and changes in its expression levels on exposure to 17beta-estradiol and 4-tert-octylphenol.

We cloned a full-length cDNA encoding vitellogenin (VTG) from a marine teleost, the Japanese sillago Sillago japonica. The cloned sillago VTG contained signal peptide, lipovitellin heavy chain, phosvitin, lipovitellin light chain, and beta'-component in the order from the N-terminus. An exposure to 17beta-estradiol significantly increased the levels of plasma VTG, but not hepatic VTG mRNA in males.

Identification of three isoforms for mitochondrial adenine nucleotide translocator in the pufferfish Takifugu rubripes.

Three adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT) genes were identified through in silico data mining of the Fugu genome database along with isolation of their corresponding cDNAs in vivo from the pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes). As a result of phylogenetic analysis, the ANT gene on scaffold_254 corresponded to mammalian ANT1, whereas both of those on scaffold_6 and scaffold_598 to mammalian ANT3. The ANT gene encoded by scaffold_6 was expressed ubiquitously in various tissues, whereas the ANT genes encoded by scaffold_254 and scaffold_598 were predominantly expressed in skeletal muscle and heart, respectively.

Genomic sequences encoding two types of medaka hemopexin-like protein Wap65, and their gene expression profiles in embryos.

Medaka genomic BAC clones, which contained two types of medaka hemopexin-like protein gene (Wap65), mWap65-1 and mWap65-2, were screened and their genomic sequences were determined by the shotgun strategy. The exon-intron organizations were highly conserved between both mWap65s and human hemopexin genes. The 5'-flanking regions of mWap65-1 and mWap65-2 contained various putative transcription factor binding sites including elements for developmental regulation.