Nucleotide sequence and chromosomal localization of the gene for pierisin-1, a DNA ADP-ribosylating protein, in the cabbage butterfly Pieris rapae

• Published in: Genetica 2011-10, Vol.139 (10), p.1251-1258
• Main Authors: Yamamoto, Masafumi, Takahashi-Nakaguchi, Azusa, Matsushima-Hibiya, Yuko, Nakano, Tsuyoshi, Totsuka, Yukari, Imanishi, Shigeo, Mitsuhashi, Jun, Watanabe, Masahiko, Nakagama, Hitoshi, Sugimura, Takashi, Wakabayashi, Keiji
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenosine diphosphate; Adenosine Diphosphate - metabolism; ADP Ribose Transferases - genetics; ADP Ribose Transferases - metabolism; adults; Animal Genetics and Genomics; Animals; Base Sequence; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Brassica; butterflies; Butterflies & moths; Chromosomes, Insect - genetics; clones; Cloning, Molecular; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA - metabolism; Evolutionary Biology; exons; Exons - genetics; fluorescence in situ hybridization; genes; Genome, Insect - genetics; guanine; hormonal regulation; Human Genetics; Hybridization; Insect Proteins - genetics; Insect Proteins - metabolism; introns; Introns - genetics; kinetochores; Lepidoptera - cytology; Lepidoptera - genetics; Lepidoptera - metabolism; Life Sciences; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Molecular Sequence Data; NAD (coenzyme); Pieridae; Pieris rapae; Plant Genetics and Genomics; proteins; transcription (genetics)
• ISSN: 0016-6707; 1573-6857
• DOI: 10.1007/s10709-011-9626-5

Cabbage butterfly, Pieris rapae, contains a unique DNA ADP-ribosylating protein, pierisin-1, which transfers ADP-ribose moiety of NAD to guanine bases of DNA. Pierisin-like proteins are only distributed in subtribes Pierina, Aporiina and Appiadina of the family Pieridae. In this study, we obtained genomic clones carrying the pierisin-1 gene from adult samples of P. rapae by plaque hybridization. The pierisin-1 gene was found to consist of two exons, 0.1-kb exon 1 and 3.9-kb exon 2, and a 2.3-kb intron. In addition, we could demonstrate that the putative promoter in the about 3-kb upstream region from the transcription start site of the gene include a transcriptional activating motif involved in immune pathways and hormonal regulation. We also examined chromosomal localization of the pierisin-1 gene. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis using Cy3-labeled pierisin-1 genomic clone demonstrated the localization of the gene near the kinetochore in chromosome 9. Thus, we confirmed that the pierisin-1 gene is located in the genome of P. rapae.