Sox基因家族是在动物中发现的一类重要的转录调控因子。基于生物信息学和RACE策略,从家蚕胚胎中克隆了一个与果蝇E族Sox基因成员同源的基因的全长cDNA,命名为BmSoxE(GenBank登录号:HQ728280)。BmSoxE的cDNA序列全长为1 398 bp,编码222个氨基酸。生物信息学分析显示,BmSoxE蛋白序列含有典型的HMG-box结构域和数个磷酸化位点。组织表达谱分析发现,BmSoxE基因在家蚕生殖腺中高量表达;时期表达谱分析表明,从家蚕的幼虫期一直到成虫期,Bm-SoxE基因的表达维持在较高水平,暗示BmSoxE基因在家蚕性别决定和分化中可能发挥了调控作用。
Sox genes encode a family of transcription factors with important regulatory roles in animals. By means of bioinformatic analysis and RACE technology, we cloned a full-length cDNA sequence from silkworm ( Bombyx mori) embryo. The obtained cDNA was homologous to group E Sox gene from Drosophila melanogaster and was thus named BmSoxE (GenBank accession No. HQ728280). The full-length cDNA sequence of BmSoxE gene is 1 398 bp long and codes for a protein with 222 amino acid residues. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that BmSoxE protein sequence has a typical HMG-box structural domain and several phosphorylation sites. Analysis on its tissue expression profile showed that BmSoxE was highly expressed in gonad of silkworm larvae. Analysis on its temporal expression profile revealed that expression of BmSoxE gene was maintained at a high level from larval stage through adult stage of silkworm, suggesting that BmSoxE gene plays certain regulatory roles in sex determination and differentiation of silkworm.