Journal of Genetics and Genomics

Adiponectin and its association with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes

Tianxin Sheng, Kangjuan Yang

2008, 35(6): 321-326. doi: 10.1016/S1673-8527(08)60047-8

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Abstract:
Adiponectin is an adipokine, which is expressed in adipose tissue and is thought to play an important role in glucose metabolism. Hypoadiponectinemia can cause reduction of fatty acid oxidation, decreased glucose uptake in skeletal muscle cells, and increased gluconeogenesis in hepatic cells. The level of plasma glucose can be increased. On the other hand, the decrease of fatty acid oxidation increases the level of free fatty acid (FFA), which increases the insulin resistance, and then decreases the glucose uptake, which ultimately causes increased plasma glucose and type 2 diabetes (T2D). This review describes the process from hypoadiponectinemia to T2D and the genesis of hypoadiponectinemia at a molecular level.

Molecular cloning and ontogenesis expression of fatty acid transport protein-1 in yellow-feathered broilers

Yuzhen Song, Jiaying Feng, Lihua Zhou, Gang Shu, Xiaotong Zhu, Ping Gao, Yongliang Zhang, Qingyan Jiang

2008, 35(6): 327-333. doi: 10.1016/S1673-8527(08)60048-X

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Abstract:
Fatty acid transport protein-1 (FATP-1) is one of the important transporter proteins involved in fatty acid transmembrane transport and fat deposition. To study the relationship between FATP-1 mRNA expression and fat deposition, chicken (Gallus gallus) FATP-1 sequence was first cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). Tissue samples of chest muscle, leg muscle, subcutaneous fat, and abdominal fat were collected from six male and six female broilers each, at 22 days, 29 days, and 42 days, respectively. The tissue specificity and ontogenesis expression pattern of the FATP-1 mRNA of yellow-feathered broilers was studied by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the fat deposition laws in different tissues were also compared. A 2,488 bp cDNA sequence of chicken FATP-1 was cloned by RACE (GenBank accession no. DQ352834), including 547 bp 3′ end untranslated region (URT) and 1,941 bp open reading frame (ORF). Chicken FATP-1 encoded 646 amino acid residues, which shared 83.9% and 83.0% identity with those of human and rat, respectively. The results of quantitative PCR demonstrated a constant FATP-1 mRNA expression level in the chest muscle and subcutaneous fat of both male and female broilers at three stages, whereas the expression level of the FATP-1 mRNA in the leg muscle at 42 days was significantly higher than that at 22 days or 29 days. In the abdominal fat of male broilers, the gene expression significantly increased with age, whereas the female broilers showed a dramatic downregulation of FATP-1 expression in abdominal fat at 42 days. This suggested a typical tissue- and gender-specific expression pattern of chicken FATP-1, mediating the specific process of fatty acid transport or utilization in muscle and adipose tissues.

Origin and phylogenetic analysis of Tibetan Mastiff based on the mitochondrial DNA sequence

Qifa Li, Zhenshan Liu, Yinxia Li, Xingbo Zhao, Liyan Dong, Zengxiang Pan, Yuanrong Sun, Ning Li, Yinxue Xu, Zhuang Xie

2008, 35(6): 335-340. doi: 10.1016/S1673-8527(08)60049-1

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Abstract:
At present, the Tibetan Mastiff is the oldest and most ferocious dog in the world. However, the origin of the Tibetan Mastiff and its phylogenetic relationship with other large breed dogs such as Saint Bernard are unclear. In this study, the primers were designed according to the mitochondrial genome sequence of the domestic dog, and the 2,525 bp mitochondrial sequence, containing the whole sequence of Cytochrome b, tRNA-Thr, tRNA-Pro, and control region of the Tibetan Mastiff, was obtained. Using grey wolves and coyotes as outgroups, the Tibetan Mastiff and 12 breeds of domestic dogs were analyzed in phylogenesis. Tibetan Mastiff, domestic dog breeds, and grey wolves were clustered into a group and coyotes were clustered in a group separately. This indicated that the Tibetan Mastiff and the other domestic dogs originated from the grey wolf, and the Tibetan Mastiff belonged to Carnivora, Canidae, Canis, Canis lupus, Canis lupus familiaris on the animal taxonomy. In domestic dogs, the middle and small breed dogs were clustered at first; German Sheepdog, Swedish Elkhound, and Black Russian Terrier were clustered into one group, and the Tibetan Mastiff, Old English Sheepdog, Leonberger, and Saint Bernard were clustered in another group. This confirmed the viewpoint that many of the famous large breed dogs worldwide such as Saint Bernard possibly had the blood lineage of the Tibetan Mastiff, based on the molecular data. According to the substitution rate, we concluded that the approximate divergence time between Tibetan Mastiff and grey wolf was 58,000 years before the present (YBP), and the approximate divergence time between other domestic dogs and grey wolf was 42,000 YBP, demonstrating that the time of origin of the Tibetan Mastiff was earlier than that of the other domestic dogs.

The complete mitogenome of the Chinese bush cricket, Gampsocleis gratiosa (Orthoptera: Tettigonioidea)

Zhijun Zhou, Fuming Shi, Yuan Huang

2008, 35(6): 341-348. doi: 10.1016/S1673-8527(08)60050-8

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Abstract:
The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Gampsocleis gratiosa was determined. The 15,929 bp in the size of G. gratiosa mitogenome contains a typical gene content, base composition, and codon usage found in metazoan. All 13 protein coding genes (PCGs) of the G. gratiosa mitogenome start with a typical ATN codon. The usual termination codons (TAA and TAG) were found from 10 PCGs. However, the atp6, nad4, and nad5 had incomplete termination codon (T). The anticodons of all tRNAs are identical to those observed in Drosophila yakuba and Locusta migratoria, and can be folded in the form of a typical clover leaf structure except for trnS (AGN). The secondary structure of trnS (AGN) was drawn according with the Steinberg-Cedergren tertiary structure. The A+T content (67.4%) of the A+T-rich region is relatively lower among the mitogenome regions, in contrast, it usually contains the highest A+T content for most insects. Two isolated sequence repeat regions (202 bp) were found in the A+T-rich region with mapping and secondary structure information.

Genome-wide mapping of conserved microRNAs and their host transcripts in Tribolium castaneum

Qibin Luo, Qing Zhou, Xiaomin Yu, Hongbin Lin, Songnian Hu, Jun Yu

2008, 35(6): 349-355. doi: 10.1016/S1673-8527(08)60051-X

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Abstract:
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous 22-nt RNAs, which play important regulatory roles by post-transcriptional gene silencing. A computational strategy has been developed for the identification of conserved miRNAs based on features of known metazoan miRNAs in red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum), which is regarded as one of the major laboratory models of arthropods. Among 118 putative miRNAs, 47% and 53% of the predicted miRNAs from the red flour beetle are harbored by known protein-coding genes (intronic) and genes located outside (intergenic miRNA), respectively. There are 31 intronic miRNAs in the same transcriptional orientation as the host genes, which may share RNA polymerase II and spliceosomal machinery with their host genes for their biogenesis. A hypothetical feedback model has been proposed based on the analysis of the relationship between intronic miRNAs and their host genes in the development of red flour beetle.

Cloning and expression of two sterol C-24 methyltransferase genes from upland cotton (Gossypium hirsuturm L.)

Ming Luo, Kunling Tan, Zhongyi Xiao, Mingyu Hu, Peng Liao, Kuijun Chen

2008, 35(6): 357-363. doi: 10.1016/S1673-8527(08)60052-1

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Abstract:
Brassinosteroids (BRs) are an important class of plant steroidal hormones that are essential in a wide variety of physiological processes. Two kinds of intermediates, sitosterol and campesterol, play a crucial role in cell elongation, cellulose biosynthesis, and accumulation. To illuminate the effects of sitosterol and campesterol on the development of cotton (Gossypium hirsuturm L.) fibers through screening cotton fiber EST database and contigging the candidate ESTs, two key genes GhSMT2-1 and GhSMT2-2 controlling the sitosterol biosynthesis were cloned from developing fibers of upland cotton cv. Xuzhou 142. The full length of GhSMT2-1 was 1,151 bp, including an 8 bp 5′-untranslated region (UTR), a 1,086 bp open reading frame (ORF), and a 57 bp 3′-UTR.GhSMT2-1 gene encoded a polypeptide of 361 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular mass of 40 kDa. The full length of GhSMT2-2 was 1,166 bp, including an 18 bp 5′-UTR, a 1,086 bp ORF, and a 62 bp 3′-UTR. GhSMT2-2 gene encoded a polypeptide of 361 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular mass of 40 kDa. The two deduced amino acid sequences had high homology with the SMT2 from Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum. Furthermore, the typical conserved structures characterized by the sterol C-24 methyltransferase, such as region I (LDVGCGVGGPMRAI), region II (IEATCHAP), and region III (YEWGWGQSFHF), were present in both deduced proteins. Southern blotting analysis indicated that GhSMT2-1 or GhSMT2-2 was a single copy in upland cotton genome. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis revealed that the highest expression levels of both genes were detected in 10 DPA (day post anthesis) fibers, while the lowest levels were observed in cotyledon and leaves. The expression level of GhSMT2-1 was 10 times higher than that of GhSMT2-2 in all the organs and tissues detected. These results indicate that the homologue of sterol C-24 methyltransferase gene was cloned from upland cotton and both GhSMT2 genes play a crucial role in fiber elongation. The role of GhSMT2-1 may be more important than that of GhSMT2-2.

Molecular cloning, identification, and chromosomal localization of two MADS box genes in peach (Prunus persica)

Lin Zhang, Yong Xu, Rongcai Ma

2008, 35(6): 365-372. doi: 10.1016/S1673-8527(08)60053-3

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Abstract:
MADS box proteins play an important role in floral development. To find genes involved in the floral transition of Prunus species, cDNAs for two MADS box genes, PpMADS1 and PpMADS10, were cloned using degenerate primers and 5′- and 3′-RACE based on the sequence database of P. persica and P. dulcis. The full length of PpMADS1 cDNA is 1,071 bp containing an open reading frame (ORF) of 717 bp and coding for a polypeptide of 238 amino acid residues. The full length of PpMADS10 cDNA is 937 bp containing an ORF of 633 bp and coding for a polypeptide of 210 amino acid residues. Sequence comparison revealed that PpMADS1 and PpMADS10 were highly homologous to genes AP1 and PI in Arabidopsis, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that PpMADS1 belongs to the euAP1 clade of class A, and PpMADS10 is a member of GLO/PI clade of class B. RT-PCR analysis showed that PpMADS1 was expressed in sepal, petal, carpel, and fruit, which was slightly different from the expression pattern of AP1; PpMADS10 was expressed in petal and stamen, which shared the same expression pattern as PI. Using selective mapping strategy, PpMADS1 was assigned onto the Bin1:50 on the G1 linkage group between the markers MCO44 and TSA2, and PpMADS10 onto the Bin1:73 on the same linkage group between the markers Lap-1 and FGA8. Our results provided the basis for further dissection of the two MADS box gene function.

Assessment of genetic variation in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) inbred lines using SSR molecular markers

Solomon Benor, Mengyu Zhang, Zhoufei Wang, Hongsheng Zhang

2008, 35(6): 373-379. doi: 10.1016/S1673-8527(08)60054-5

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Abstract:
A study was conducted to determine the genetic diversity of 39 determinate and indeterminate tomato inbred lines collected from China, Japan, S. Korea, and USA. Using 35 SSR polymorphic markers, a total of 150 alleles were found with moderate levels of diversity, and a high number of unique alleles existing in these tomato lines. The mean number of alleles per locus was 4.3 and the average polymorphism information content (PIC) was 0.31. Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) clustering at genetic similarity value of 0.85 grouped the inbred lines into four groups, where one USA cultivar formed a separate and more distant cluster. The most similar inbred lines are from USA, both with determinate type, whereas the most different lines are from USA (Us-16) and Japan (Ja-2) with determinate and indeterminate growth habit, respectively. Clustering was consistent with the known information regarding geographical location and growth habit. The genetic distance information reported in this study might be used by breeders when planning future crosses among these inbred lines.

An approach to incorporate linkage disequilibrium structure into genomic association analysis

Fengyu Zhang, Diane Wagener

2008, 35(6): 381-385. doi: 10.1016/S1673-8527(08)60055-7

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Abstract:
In this study, we propose to use the principal component analysis (PCA) and regression model to incorporate linkage disequilibrium (LD) in genomic association data analysis. To accommodate LD in genomic data and reduce multiple testing, we suggest performing PCA and extracting the PCA score to capture the variation of genomic data, after which regression analysis is used to assess the association of the disease with the principal component score. An empirical analysis result shows that both genotype-based correlation matrix and haplotype-based LD matrix can produce similar results for PCA. Principal component score seems to be more powerful in detecting genetic association because the principal component score is quantitatively measured and may be able to capture the effect of multiple loci.

2008 Vol. 35, No. 6