Molecular identification and partial sequence analysis of an aryl hydrocarbon receptor from beluga (Delphinapterus leucas)
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MA (United States)
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) mediates the effects of many common and potentially toxic organic hydrocarbons, including some polychlorinated biphenyls and dioxins. Since small cetaceans often inhabit industrially polluted coastal waters, comparison of the molecular structure and function of this protein in cetaeans with other marine and mammalian species is important for evaluating the sensitivity of cetaceans to these pollutants. An AhR protein has been identified in beluga liver by photoaffinity labeling. In the present study, the authors sought to clone and sequence an AhR cDNA from beluga as a prelude to studying its structure and function, using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and degenerate primers, a 515 base pair fragment was amplified, cloned and sequenced, revealing homology to the PAS domain (ligand binding and dimerization region) of AhRs from terrestrial mammals. This portion of the putative beluga AhR has 82% amino acid and 81% nucleotide sequence identity to the mouse AhR, and 63% amino acid and 64% nucleotide sequence identity to an AhR from the marine fish Fundulus heteroclitus. A beluga cDNA library was synthesized and is currently being screened with the PCR-generated fragment to obtain the complete coding sequence. This is the first molecular evidence of AhR presence in cetaceans.
- OSTI ID:
- 460490
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-961149-; TRN: IM9718%%71
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 17. annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: partnerships for the environment - science, education, and policy, Washington, DC (United States), 17-21 Nov 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of SETAC 17. annual meeting -- Abstract book. Partnerships for the environment: Science, education, and policy; PB: 378 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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