Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011;2011:965153. doi: 10.1155/2011/965153. Epub 2011 Sep 27.
In order to understand the possible role of globin genes in fish salinity adaptation, we report the molecular characterization and expression of all four subunits of haemoglobin, and their response to salinity challenge in flounder. The entire open reading frames of α1-globin and α2-globin genes were 432 and 435 bp long, respectively, whereas the β1-globin and β2-globin genes were both 447 bp. Although the head kidney (pronephros) is the predicted major site of haematopoiesis, real-time PCR revealed that expression of α-globin and β-globin in kidney (mesonephros) was 1.5 times higher than in head kidney. Notably, the α1-globin and β1-globin mRNA expression was higher than α2-globin and β2-globin in kidney. Expression levels of all four globin subunits were higher in freshwater- (FW-) than in seawater- (SW-)adapted fish kidney. If globins do play a role in salinity adaptation, this is likely to be more important in combating the hemodilution faced by fish in FW than the dehydration and salt loading which occur in SW.
为了了解珠蛋白基因在鱼类盐度适应中的可能作用，我们报告了四聚体血红蛋白所有亚基的分子特征和表达及其在比目鱼中的盐度挑战反应。α1-珠蛋白和α2-珠蛋白基因的完整开放阅读框分别长 432 和 435bp，而β1-珠蛋白和β2-珠蛋白基因均为 447bp。尽管头肾（前肾）是预测的主要造血部位，但实时 PCR 显示，肾脏（中肾）中α-珠蛋白和β-珠蛋白的表达比头肾高 1.5 倍。值得注意的是，肾脏中α1-珠蛋白和β1-珠蛋白 mRNA 的表达均高于α2-珠蛋白和β2-珠蛋白。在淡水适应（FW）鱼类肾脏中，所有四个珠蛋白亚基的表达水平均高于海水适应（SW）鱼类肾脏。如果珠蛋白确实在盐度适应中起作用，那么这对于在 FW 中对抗鱼类面临的血液稀释可能比在 SW 中发生的脱水和盐负荷更为重要。
