Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185814
Title: | Molecular characterization of three Rhesus glycoproteins from the gills of the African lungfish, Protopterus annectens, and effects of aestivation on their mRNA expression levels and protein abundance | Authors: | Chng Y.R. Ong J.L.Y. Ching B. Chen X.L. Hiong K.C. Wong W.P. Chew S.F. Lam S.H. Ip Y.K. |
Keywords: | ammonia complementary DNA glycoprotein messenger RNA protein rhag protein rhbg protein rhcg unclassified drug glycoprotein messenger RNA aestivation animal tissue Article controlled study DNA sequence down regulation erythrocyte gene gene expression genetic code genetic transcription gill lungfish nonhuman protein expression protein function Protopterus annectens rhag gene rhbg gene rhcg gene amino acid sequence animal fish genetics metabolism sequence homology Amino Acid Sequence Animals Down-Regulation Fishes Gills Glycoproteins RNA, Messenger Sequence Homology, Amino Acid |
Issue Date: | 2017 | Publisher: | Public Library of Science | Citation: | Chng Y.R., Ong J.L.Y., Ching B., Chen X.L., Hiong K.C., Wong W.P., Chew S.F., Lam S.H., Ip Y.K. (2017). Molecular characterization of three Rhesus glycoproteins from the gills of the African lungfish, Protopterus annectens, and effects of aestivation on their mRNA expression levels and protein abundance. PLoS ONE 12 (10) : e0185814. ScholarBank@NUS Repository. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185814 | Abstract: | African lungfishes are ammonotelic in water. They can aestivate for long periods on land during drought. During aestivation, the gills are covered with dried mucus and ammonia excretion ceases. In fishes, ammonia excretion through the gills involves Rhesus glycoproteins (RhGP/Rhgp). This study aimed to obtain the complete cDNA coding sequences of rhgp from the gills of Protopterus annectens, and to determine their branchial mRNA and protein expression levels during the induction, maintenance and arousal phases of aestivation. Three isoforms of rhgp (rhag, rhbg and rhcg) were obtained in the gills of P. annectens. Their complete cDNA coding sequences ranged between 1311 and 1398 bp, coding for 436 to 465 amino acids with estimated molecular masses between 46.8 and 50.9 kDa. Dendrogramic analyses indicated that Rhag was grouped closer to fishes, while Rhbg and Rhcg were grouped closer to tetrapods. During the induction phase, the protein abundance of Rhag, but not its transcript level, was down-regulated in the gills, suggesting that there could be a decrease in the release of ammonia from the erythrocytes to the plasma. Furthermore, the branchial transcript levels of rhbg and rhcg decreased significantly, in preparation for the subsequent shutdown of gill functions. During the maintenance phase, the branchial expression levels of rhag/Rhag, rhbg/Rhbg and rhcg/Rhcg decreased significantly, indicating that their transcription and translation were down-regulated. This could be part of an overall mechanism to shut down branchial functions and save metabolic energy used for transcription and translation. It could also be regarded as an adaptive response to stop ammonia excretion. During the arousal phase, it is essential for the lungfish to regain the ability to excrete ammonia. Indeed, the protein abundance of Rhag, Rhbg and Rhcg recovered to the corresponding control levels after 1 day or 3 days of recovery from 6 months of aestivation. © 2017 Chng et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. | Source Title: | PLoS ONE | URI: | https://scholarbank.nus.edu.sg/handle/10635/165773 | ISSN: | 1932-6203 | DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0185814 |
Appears in Collections: | Staff Publications Elements |
Show full item record
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | Access Settings | Version | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10_1371_journal_pone_0185814.pdf | 7.63 MB | Adobe PDF | OPEN | Published | View/Download |
Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.