Van Beneden R J, Walker C W, Laughner E S
Department of Zoology, University of Maine, Orono 04469-5751, USA.
Mol Mar Biol Biotechnol. 1997 Jun;6(2):116-22.
Expression of a clam p53 homologue was examined in tissues of the soft-shell clam, Mya arenaria, from Beal's Island, Maine. Southern analysis reveals that p53, in this population, is a single copy gene. A 1.7 to 1.9-kb p53 mRNA was detected at very low levels in normal adult gonadal tissue. This transcript is similar in size to that of vertebrate p53 genes. RNAs were harvested from several tissues, including individual clam gonads during gametogenesis. These were hybridized in ribonuclease (RNase) protection assays to a p53 antisense probe designed from the clam p53 cDNA sequence. RNase protection profiles indicate that p53 mRNA is expressed in adductor muscle, gill, and gonads of both sexes. Although p53 mRNA is expressed throughout gametogenesis in mature male and female gonads, ovaries have significantly higher levels of expression. The significance of our findings to the study of normal clam gametogenesis and to etiology of gonadal tumors is discussed.
在缅因州比尔岛的软壳蛤（Mya arenaria）组织中检测了一种蛤类p53同源物的表达。Southern分析表明，在这个种群中，p53是一个单拷贝基因。在正常成年性腺组织中检测到非常低水平的1.7至1.9 kb p53 mRNA。该转录本的大小与脊椎动物p53基因的相似。从几个组织中收获RNA，包括配子发生过程中的单个蛤类性腺。将这些RNA在核糖核酸酶（RNase）保护试验中与根据蛤类p53 cDNA序列设计的p53反义探针杂交。RNase保护图谱表明，p53 mRNA在两性的闭壳肌、鳃和性腺中表达。尽管p53 mRNA在成熟雄性和雌性性腺的整个配子发生过程中都有表达，但卵巢中的表达水平明显更高。讨论了我们的发现对正常蛤类配子发生研究和性腺肿瘤病因学的意义。
