Effects of pure microcystin-LR on the transcription of immune related genes and heat shock proteins in larval stage of zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Microcystins (MCs) are cyanobacterial toxins in water blooms that have received increasing attention as a public biohazard for human and animal health. Previous studies were mainly focused on the toxic effects on adult fish, rather than juvenile or larvae, and the response of fish immune system were usually neglected. This paper presents the first data of the effects of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) on transcription of several genes essential for early lymphoid development (Rag1, Rag2, Ikaros, GATA1, Lck and TCR alpha) and heat shock proteins (HSP90, HSP70, HSP60, HSP27) in zebrafish larvae. Relative changes of mRNA transcription were analyzed by real time PCR. The transcription of Rag1, Rag2, Ikaros, GATA1, Lck and TCR alpha were up-regulated when following exposure to 800 mu g/L MC-LR, which may indicate that specific lymphocytes differentiation and TCR/lg arrangement are induced to counteract the toxic effects of MC-LR. It was also interesting to note the dramatically increased transcription of HSP90. HSP70, HSP60 and HSP27, which may indicate their important roles as molecular chaperones under oxidative stress. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Molecular evidence for diphyly of the Asian catfish family Amblycipitidae (Teleostei: Siluriformes) and exclusion of the South American Aspredinidae from Sisoroidea

Amblycipitidae Day, 1873 is an Asian family of catfishes (Siluriformes) usually considered to contain 28 species placed in three genera: Amblyceps (14 spp.), Liobagrus (12 spp.) and Xiurenbagrus (2 spp.). Morphology-based systematics has supported the monophyly of this family, with some authors placing Amblycipitidae within a larger group including Akysidae, Sisoridae and Aspredinidae, termed the Sisoroidea. Here we investigate the phylogenetic relationships among four species of Amblyceps, six species of Liobagrus and the two species of Xiurenbagrus with respect to other sisoroid taxa as well as other catfish groups using 6100 aligned base pairs of DNA sequence data from the rag1 and rag2 genes of the nuclear genome and from three regions (cyt b, COL ND4 plus tRNA-His and tRNA-Ser) of the mitochondrial genome. Parsimony and Bayesian analyses of the data indicate strong support for a diphyletic Amblycipitidae in which the genus Amblyceps is the sister group to the Sisoridae and a clade formed by genera Liobagrus and Xiurenbagrus is the sister group to Akysidae. These taxa together form a well supported monophyletic group that assembles all Asian sisoroid taxa, but excludes the South American Aspredinidae. Results for aspredinids are consistent with previous molecular studies that indicate these catfishes are not sisoroids, but the sister group to the South American doradoid catfishes (Auchenipteridae + Doradidae). The redefined sisoroid clade plus Bagridae, Horabagridae and (Ailia + Laides) make up a larger monophyletic group informally termed "Big Asia." Likelihood-based SH tests and Bayes Factor comparisons of the rag and the mitochondrial data partitions considered separately and combined reject both the hypothesis of amblycipitid monophyly and the hypothesis of aspredinid inclusion within Sisoroidea. This result for amblycipitids conflicts with a number of well documented morphological synapomorphies that we briefly review. Possible nomenclatural changes for amblycipitid taxa are noted.

Phylogenetic relationships of Danio within the order cypriniformes: A framework for comparative and evolutionary studies of a model species

The evolutionary relationships of species of Danio and the monophyly and phylogenetic placement of the genus within the family Cyprinidae and subfamily Rasborinae provide fundamentally important phyloinformatics necessary for direct evaluations of an array of pertinent questions in modern comparative biology. Although the genus Danio is not one of the most diverse within the family, Danio rerio is one of the most important model species in biology. Many investigations have used this species or presumed close relatives to address specific questions that have lasting impact on the hypothesis and theory of development in vertebrates. Largely lacking from this approach has been a holistic picture of the exact phylogenetic or evolutionary relationships of this species and its close relatives. One thing that has been learned over the previous century is that many organismal attributes (e.g., developmental pathways, ecologies, behaviors, speciation) are historically constrained and their origins and functions are best explained via a phylogenetic approach. Herein, we provide a molecular evaluation of the phylogenetic placement of the model species Danio rerio within the genus Danio and among hypothesized closely related species and genera. Our analysis is derived from data using two nuclear genes (RAG1, rhodopsin) and five mitochondrial genes (ND4, ND4L, ND5, COI, cyt b) evaluated using parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analyses. The family Cyprinidae is resolved as monophyletic but the subfamily Rasborinae (priority over Danioinae) is an unnatural assemblage. Danio is identified as a monophyletic group sister to a clade inclusive of the genera Chela, Microrasbora, Devario, and Inlecypris, not Devario nor Esomus as hypothesized in previous studies. Danio rerio is sister to D. kyathit among the species of Danio evaluated in this analysis. Microrasbora and Rasbora are non-monophyletic assemblages; however, Boraras is monophyletic.

褐牙鲆和夏牙鲆杂交的遗传学研究

在进行褐牙鲆(Paralichthys olivaceus)和夏牙鲆(P. dentatus)的杂交及回交的基础上，利用染色体计数、AFLP、线粒体DNA和核基因部分序列等分析方法对褐牙鲆和夏牙鲆正反交和回交子代进行遗传学研究，探讨了褐牙鲆和夏牙鲆正反交不对称的遗传学基础及其生殖隔离现象，主要结果如下： 1. 褐牙鲆和夏牙鲆正反交的活力是不对称的，褐牙鲆♀×夏牙鲆♂的正交杂种活力正常，能够正常存活、生长和发育，而反交夏牙鲆♀×褐牙鲆♂的杂种体态畸形，孵出后不久死亡。染色体计数发现正交个体的染色体核型与父母本一致，均为48条端部着丝粒染色体；而反交杂种比亲本缺失了两条染色体，仅为46条端部着丝粒染色体，这表明反交杂种为非整倍体。进一步利用AFLP方法对遗传物质从亲本到子代的传递进行了分析，结果显示正反交遗传物质的传承方式存在很大差异。几乎所有亲本的AFLP位点(97.71%)均传递到正交子代。然而，仅有86.64%的AFLP位点从亲本传递到反交子代，反交子代中亲本位点的丢失比例显著高于正交子代和亲本种内交配子代的比例 ( P < 0.05)，这可能与反交杂种染色体丢失有关。进一步分析发现，杂交组中的偏分离标记高于对照组，尽管经2检验发现其差异并不显著 (P > 0.05)。 2. 对于可以成活的正交杂种进行培育达到性成熟后，利用褐牙鲆和夏牙鲆的精液分别与雌性杂交鲆的卵子进行母本回交实验。通过统计受精率、孵化率及杂交适合度值（CFM，受精率和孵化率相乘获得的结果）评估褐牙鲆和夏牙鲆的杂交可适度，结果表明正交及各回交组中的CFM值均显著低于褐牙鲆自交(P < 0.05)。同时，利用AFLP对回交子代基因组的变化进行了分析，发现回交中不仅存在亲本位点的丢失(褐牙鲆回交子代-回交1, 3.96%; 夏牙鲆回交子代-回交2, 6.03%)的现象，也存在非亲位点(回交1, 5.63%; 回交2, 3.28%)的现象。而且，两回交组合分别有27.40%和31.18%的AFLP标记偏离孟德尔遗传。 3. 利用线粒体DNA 16S rDNA、COⅠ基因及核基因rag1的部分序列对正反交及回交子代的线粒体及核DNA的传承进行分析，发现正反交子代的16S rDNA和线粒体DNA片段的同源性和母本一致，各回交组中16S rDNA和COⅠ基因片段与褐牙鲆的同源性较高 (98%)，这表明褐牙鲆和夏牙鲆杂交及回交遵循母性遗传规律。但在回交子代中发现16S rDNA和COⅠ基因具有多种单倍型。褐牙鲆和夏牙鲆的rag1基因具有高度的保守性，但在正交子代中发现rag1多种单倍型。 4. 进一步利用线粒体DNA的16S rDNA、COⅠ基因的部分序列对8种重要海水养殖鱼类的系统进化分析，计算了其种间的遗传距离。根据这几种鲆鲽鱼的杂交是否可行的试验结果，评价种间遗传距离与杂交可适度的关系，结果表明，这8种鲆鲽鱼类的种间遗传距离与杂交可适度呈显著的负相关 (r2 = 0.805，P < 0.01)，即种间遗传分化越大，杂交成功的可能性越小，这表明鲆鲽鱼类中可能存在物种进化的不亲和钟 (Incompatibility clock)。

牙鲆rag基因的克隆及表达研究

牙鲆在中国北方沿海地区形成了大规模的工厂化养殖，成为我国海水养殖的一大重要产业。然而疾病的频繁发生严重阻碍了这一产业的发展，为了保证牙鲆产业稳定、健康、持续地发展，开展鱼类免疫系统的基础研究，提高鱼类抵抗病原菌侵害的能力，本研究从牙鲆免疫系统的个体发育过程入手，克隆了其rag（recombination activating gene）基因，在此基础上对其组织特异性表达进行了分析。 研究结果表明牙鲆rag1基因由4个外显子和3个内含子组成，第一个外显子位于5’非翻译区，这一外显子存在两种不同的剪切方式。牙鲆rag1基因编码1068个氨基酸。牙鲆rag2基因的编码区序列长为1602 bp，编码533个氨基酸，没有在牙鲆rag2基因编码区内发现内含子的存在。rag基因间序列长为3128 bp，两个基因共用一段3’非编码区。 本试验通过RT-PCR检测发现，牙鲆的rag1和rag2基因在头肾和体肾中均有表达。整装原位杂交结果表明，牙鲆在受精后第8天开始起有rag1和rag2基因的表达，主要在胸鳍前面，腮背部的部位表达，这个区域与后来胸腺出现的位置相一致。冰冻切片结果显示，rag是在靠近咽部的区域有表达。石蜡切片原位杂交结果显示，rag基因在胸腺中的表达显示出不均一性，着色较深的为皮层区，而着色比较浅的为髓部。 将牙鲆rag1基因的一部分（编码559个氨基酸）和rag2全基因序列（编码533个氨基酸）插入到表达质粒pProEXTM HTa上，在大肠杆菌E. coli BL-21中进行体外表达与分析，结合BD TALONTM Metal Affinity Resins亲和柱纯化了RAG2蛋白。