Molecular cloning and functional analysis of the FSH receptor gene promoter from the volcano mouse (Neotomodon alstoni alstoni)

The volcano mouse Neotomodon alstoni of central Mexico, a biological model in the study of breeding, obesity and circadian rhythms

The "Mexican volcano mouse" Neotomodon alstoni, is endemic of the Transverse Neovolcanic Ridge in central Mexico. It is considered as least concern species and has been studied as a potential laboratory model from different perspectives. Two lines of research in neuroendocrinology have been addressed: reproduction and parental care, particularly focused on paternal attention and the influence of testosterone, and studies on physiology and behavior of circadian rhythms, focused on the circadian biology of the species, its circadian locomotor activity and daily neuroendocrine regulation of metabolic parameters related to energy balance. Some mice, when captive, spontaneously develop obesity, which allows for comparisons between lean and obese mice of daily changes in neuronal and metabolic parameters associated with changes in food intake and locomotor activity. This review includes studies that consider this species an attractive animal model where the alteration of circadian rhythms influences the pathogenesis of obesity, specifically with the basic regulation of food intake and metabolism and differences related to sex. This study can be considered as a reference to the comparative animal physiology among rodents.

Molecular characterization and identification of a novel polymorphism of 200 bp indel associated with age at first egg of the promoter region in chicken follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) gene

Follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) plays an important role in animal follicular development. Polymorphisms in FSHR promoter region likely impact transcription and follicle growth and maturation. In this study, a fragment of ~1.9 kb of cFSHR promoter for Zang, Xianju, Lohmann Brown, Jining Bairi and Wenchang breeds (line) was obtained. Totally 49 variations were revealed, of which 39 are single nucleotide substitutions, one is nucleotide substitution of (TTG) to (CAC) and nine are indels. Polymorphism at -874 site (a 200 bp indel mutation) was identified, and their effects on egg production traits as well as gene expression were analyzed. At this site, allele I(+) was dominant in Lohmann Brown and Xinyang Brown (a synthetic egg-laying line) lines, but very rare in three Chinese indigenous chicken breeds, namely Jining Bairi, Wenchang, Zang and one synthetic boiler line (Luqin). In Xinyang Brown population, the polymorphism was associated with age at first egg (AFE) (P < 0.05) and its effect on egg number at 37 weeks of age (E37) and egg number at 57 weeks of age (E57) was not significantly different (P > 0.05). The cFSHR mRNA level was not significantly different between three genotypes in small white and small yellow follicles of Xinyang Brown hens, however, allele I(+) tends to increase cFSHR transcription.