cDNA cloning and expression of erythropoietin in the plateau zokor(Myospalax baileyi) from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau  

作　　者：WANG ZhenLong CHEN Yan YANG Jie CHEN WeiJun ZHANG YanMing ZHAO XinQuan 

机构地区：[1]Department of Bioengineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China [2]Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Plateau Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810001, China [3]Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China [4]Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China [5]Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China

出　　处：《Chinese Science Bulletin》2012年第9期997-1006,共10页

基　　金：supported by Key Innovation Research Program,Chinese Academy of Sciences (KSCX2-EW-N-05);the National Basic Research Program of China (2012CB722506);the Key Projects in the Nationa Science & Technology Pillar Program (2009BAI83B01)

摘　　要：All organisms respond to variation in their environments and manage environmental stress through metabolic adjustments.The plateau zokor(Myospalax baileyi) is an endemic and keystone subterranean rodent species that inhabits the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau between 2800 and 4200 m above sea level.It is a hypoxic-tolerant mammal with a high ratio of oxygen utilization that enables it to cope with its harsh surroundings.To explore the molecular mechanism of altitude acclimatization of the plateau zokor,we cloned the zokor erythropoietin(Epo) gene and used real-time PCR to compare Epo mRNA levels in zokors inhabiting 16 different altitudes.The full-length zokor Epo open reading frame was 579 bp that encoded a precursor peptide of 192 amino acids with a signal peptide of 26 residues.The Epo gene of the plateau zokor was 81%-95% homologous to that of human,mouse,rat,root vole and the Golan Heights blind mole rat,with the highest homology(95%) to species of the genus Spalax.Epo mRNA was detected mainly in the zokor kidney and spleen among 8 selected tissues.The level of Epo mRNA increased in the liver and kidney with increases in altitude.The increase in the kidney was 5 times that in the liver.Remarkably,expression of Epo mRNA in the kidney of zokors living at the highest altitude(4268 m) was 12-fold higher than that of zokors living at the lowest(2492 m) altitude.These findings provide essential information for understanding the possible role of Epo in adaptation to hypoxia in the plateau zokor.All organisms respond to variation in their environments and manage environmental stress through metabolic adjustments. The plateau zokor （Myospalax baileyi） is an endemic and keystone subterranean rodent species that inhabits the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau between 2800 and 4200 m above sea level. It is a hypoxic-tolerant mammal with a high ratio of oxygen utilization that enables it to cope with its harsh surroundings. To explore the molecular mechanism of altitude acclimatization of the plateau zokor, we cloned the zokor erythropoietin （Epo） gene and used real-time PCR to compare Epo mRNA levels in zokors inhabiting 16 differ- ent altitudes. The full-length zokor Epo open reading frame was 579 bp that encoded a precursor peptide of 192 amino acids with a signal peptide of 26 residues. The Epo gene of the plateau zokor was 81%-95% homologous to that of human, mouse, rat, root vole and the Golan Heights blind mole rat, with the highest homology （95%） to species of the genus Spalax. Epo mRNA was detected mainly in the zokor kidney and spleen among 8 selected tissues. The level of Epo mRNA increased in the liver and kid- ney with increases in altitude. The increase in the kidney was 5 times that in the liver. Remarkably, expression of Epo mRNA in the kidney of zokors living at the highest altitude （4268 m） was 12-fold higher than that of zokors living at the lowest （2492 m） altitude. These findings provide essential information for understanding the possible role of Epo in adaptation to hypoxia in the plateau zokor.

关 键 词：促红细胞生成素 高原鼢鼠 克隆和表达 青藏高原 CDNA MRNA水平 环境压力 基因检测 

分 类 号：Q959.837[生物学—动物学] TQ464.7[化学工程—制药化工]