Nakao Nobuhiro, Nakagawa Kei, Sasaki Asuna, Yamaguchi Arisa, Tsushima Nobumichi, Tanaka Minoru
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Applied Life Science, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8602, Japan.
J Poult Sci. 2021 Jan 25;58(1):64-69. doi: 10.2141/jpsa.0190135.
The molecular mechanism underlying photoperiodic response in seasonal breeding animals such as the Japanese quail, red jungle fowl, sheep, mouse, and hamster involves thyroid-stimulating hormone beta subunit () mRNA expression in the pars tuberalis stimulated by the extension in day length. Furthermore, this mechanism is regulated by eyes absent 3 () in mammals. Even in birds, the expression of both and is induced in the pars tuberalis by the extension in day length; however, the relationship between the two genes is unknown. To clarify the function of EYA3 in quail photoperiodism, in the present study, we performed mRNA structure analysis of the Japanese quail mRNA using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Southern blot analysis. The results revealed that there are four types of splice variants within regions of exons 7, 8, and 9 of quail mRNA. Among the four splice variants of quail , the splice variant containing exon 7 was expressed in the pars tuberalis on the first long day, when quails were transferred from the short-day condition to the long-day condition. The results indicate that splice variant containing exon 7 is involved in the photoperiodic response of the pars tuberalis in the Japanese quail.
在季节性繁殖动物（如日本鹌鹑、原鸡、绵羊、小鼠和仓鼠）中，光周期反应的分子机制涉及到日长延长刺激下结节部促甲状腺激素β亚基（）mRNA的表达。此外，该机制在哺乳动物中受无眼3（）调控。即使在鸟类中，日长延长也会诱导结节部和的表达；然而，这两个基因之间的关系尚不清楚。为了阐明EYA3在鹌鹑光周期现象中的功能，在本研究中，我们使用逆转录-聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）和Southern印迹分析对日本鹌鹑mRNA进行了mRNA结构分析。结果显示，鹌鹑mRNA的外显子7、8和9区域内存在四种剪接变体。在鹌鹑的四种剪接变体中，包含外显子7的剪接变体在鹌鹑从短日照条件转移到长日照条件后的第一个长日照日在结节部表达。结果表明，包含外显子7的剪接变体参与了日本鹌鹑结节部的光周期反应。
