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Bignotto TS, Munhoz REF, Pereira NC, Bespalhuk R, Saez CRN, Fassina VA, Fernandez MA. Allelic Variability in the Intronic Region of the Fibroin Heavy-Chain Gene in Silkworm Bombyx mori L. Strains of Brazilian Germplasm Bank. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2014; 43:252-259. [PMID: 27193621 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-014-0205-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2013] [Accepted: 02/25/2014] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The domesticated silkworm Bombyx mori L. is currently found only in germplasm banks. Therefore, characterization and conservation of this genetic resource is crucial. Based on previous studies that revealed nucleotide differences in silkworm strains, the intron of the fibroin heavy chain gene (H-fib) can be used for molecular silkworm characterization. The H-fib gene has two exons and a unique intron, and encodes the principal component of the silk fiber, the fibroin heavy chain. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the genetic variability of the unique intron of H-fib gene of 20 silkworm strains maintained at the Universidade Estadual de Maringá Brazilian Germplasm Bank (UBGB) by conformation-sensitive gel electrophoresis (CSGE) and nucleotide sequencing. Genomic DNA extracted from silkworm moths was PCR amplified. CSGE revealed that most of the analyzed silkworm strains had only homoduplex molecules. However, DNA from the Japanese strains B106, B82, and M12-2 had two extra DNA fragments produced by heteroduplex molecules, revealing variation between alleles. Sequencing of the H-fib intron was used to confirm the variation previously detected by CSGE and detected a significant polymorphism characterized by a 17-base pair (bp) deletion, a 2-bp insertion, and eight nucleotide substitutions. Although genetic and allelic variability was detected in some silkworm strains, the intron of the H-fib gene revealed not to be the best molecular marker for the characterization of B. mori strains from UBGB.
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Affiliation(s)
- T S Bignotto
- Depto de Biotecnologia, Biologia Celular e Genética, Univ Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790, Bloco B36, 87020-900, Maringá, PR, Brasil.
| | - R E F Munhoz
- Depto de Biotecnologia, Biologia Celular e Genética, Univ Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790, Bloco B36, 87020-900, Maringá, PR, Brasil
| | - N C Pereira
- Depto de Biotecnologia, Biologia Celular e Genética, Univ Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790, Bloco B36, 87020-900, Maringá, PR, Brasil
| | - R Bespalhuk
- Depto de Biotecnologia, Biologia Celular e Genética, Univ Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790, Bloco B36, 87020-900, Maringá, PR, Brasil
| | - C R N Saez
- Depto de Biotecnologia, Biologia Celular e Genética, Univ Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790, Bloco B36, 87020-900, Maringá, PR, Brasil
| | - V A Fassina
- Depto de Biotecnologia, Biologia Celular e Genética, Univ Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790, Bloco B36, 87020-900, Maringá, PR, Brasil
| | - M A Fernandez
- Depto de Biotecnologia, Biologia Celular e Genética, Univ Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790, Bloco B36, 87020-900, Maringá, PR, Brasil
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Papanicolaou A, Woo A, Brei B, Ma D, Masedunskas A, Gray E, Xiao GG, Cho S, Brockhouse C. Novel aquatic silk genes Simulium (Psilozia) vittatum (Zett) Diptera: Simuliidae. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2013; 43:1181-1188. [PMID: 24446544 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2013.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The silks of arthropods have an elementary role in the natural history of the organisms that spin them, yet they are coded by rapidly evolving genes leading some authors to speculate that silk proteins are non-homologous proteins co-opted multiple times independently for similar functions. However, some general structural patterns are emerging. In this work we identified three major silk gland proteins using a combined biochemical, proteomic, next-generation sequencing and bioinformatic approach. Biochemical characterization determined that they were phosphorylated with multiple isoforms and potentially differential phosphorylation. Structural characterization showed that their structure was more similar to silk proteins from distantly related aquatic Trichopteran species than more closely related terrestrial or aquatic Diptera. Overall, our approach is easily transferable to any non-model species and if used across a larger number of aquatic species, we will be able to better understand the processes involved in linking the secondary structure of silk proteins with their function between in an organisms and its habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexie Papanicolaou
- CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Black Mountain Labs, GPO 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
| | - Angelica Woo
- Biology Department, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68131, USA
| | - Brianna Brei
- Biology Department, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68131, USA
| | - Danjun Ma
- Entomology Department, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Andrius Masedunskas
- Biology Department, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68131, USA
| | - Elmer Gray
- Entomology Department, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Gary Guishan Xiao
- Genomics and Functional Proteomics Laboratory, Creighton University Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Soochin Cho
- Biology Department, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68131, USA.
| | - Charles Brockhouse
- Biology Department, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68131, USA.
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Martinez L, Reategui EP, Fonseca LR, Sierra-Montes JM, Terreros MC, Pereira-Simon S, Herrera RJ. Superimposing Polymorphism: The Case of a Point Mutation within a Polymorphic Alu Insertion. Hum Hered 2005; 59:109-17. [PMID: 15838180 DOI: 10.1159/000085225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2004] [Accepted: 01/25/2005] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The COL3A1 Alu insertion is a member of the AluY subfamily. It has been found to be absent in non-human primates and polymorphic in worldwide human populations. The integration of the element into the human genome seems to have preceded the initial migration(s) of anatomically modern humans out of the African continent. Although the insertion has been detected in populations from all the continents, its highest frequency values are located within sub-Saharan Africa. The sequence alignment of the COL3A1 insertion from several African individuals revealed a bi-allelic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at the downstream terminus of the element's poly-A tract. Once discovered, a selective PCR procedure was designed to determine the frequency of both alleles in 19 worldwide populations. The A-allele in this binary SNP experiences a clinal increase in the eastward direction from Africa to Southeast Asia and Mongolia, reaching fixation in the two latter regions. The T variant, on the other hand, exhibits a westward clinal increase outside of Africa, with its lowest frequency in Asia and achieving fixation in northern Europe. The presence of this internal SNP extends the usefulness provided by the polymorphic Alu insertion (PAI). It is possible that superimposing polymorphisms like this one found in the COL3A1 locus may accentuate signals from genetic drift events allowing for visualization of recent dispersal patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laisel Martinez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
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