Compensatory signals associated with the activation of human GC 5' splice sites.

GC 5' splice sites (5'ss) are present in ∼1% of human introns, but factors promoting their efficient selection are poorly understood. Here, we describe a case of X-linked agammaglobulinemia resulting from a GC 5'ss activated by a mutation in BTK intron 3. This GC 5'ss was intrinsically weak, yet it was selected in >90% primary transcripts in the presence of a strong and intact natural GT counterpart. We show that efficient selection of this GC 5'ss required a high density of GAA/CAA-containing splicing enhancers in the exonized segment and was promoted by SR proteins 9G8, Tra2ß and SC35. The GC 5'ss was efficiently inhibited by splice-switching oligonucleotides targeting either the GC 5'ss itself or the enhancer. Comprehensive analysis of natural GC-AG introns and previously reported pathogenic GC 5'ss showed that their efficient activation was facilitated by higher densities of splicing enhancers and lower densities of silencers than their GT 5'ss equivalents. Removal of the GC-AG introns was promoted to a minor extent by the splice-site strength of adjacent exons and inhibited by flanking Alu repeats, with the first downstream Alus located on average at a longer distance from the GC 5'ss than other transposable elements. These results provide new insights into the splicing code that governs selection of noncanonical splice sites.

DBASS3 and DBASS5: databases of aberrant 3'- and 5'-splice sites.

DBASS3 and DBASS5 provide comprehensive repositories of new exon boundaries that were induced by pathogenic mutations in human disease genes. Aberrant 5'- and 3'-splice sites were activated either by mutations in the consensus sequences of natural exon-intron junctions (cryptic sites) or elsewhere ('de novo' sites). DBASS3 and DBASS5 currently contain approximately 900 records of cryptic and de novo 3'- and 5'-splice sites that were produced by over a thousand different mutations in approximately 360 genes. DBASS3 and DBASS5 data can be searched by disease phenotype, gene, mutation, location of aberrant splice sites in introns and exons and their distance from authentic counterparts, by bibliographic references and by the splice-site strength estimated with several prediction algorithms. The user can also retrieve reference sequences of both aberrant and authentic splice sites with the underlying mutation. These data will facilitate identification of introns or exons frequently involved in aberrant splicing, mutation analysis of human disease genes and study of germline or somatic mutations that impair RNA processing. Finally, this resource will be useful for fine-tuning splice-site prediction algorithms, better definition of auxiliary splicing signals and design of new reporter assays. DBASS3 and DBASS5 are freely available at http://www.dbass.org.uk/.

Distinct organ-specific up- and down-regulation of IGF-I and IGF-II mRNA in various organs of a GH-overexpressing transgenic Nile tilapia.

Several lines of GH-overexpressing fish have been produced and characterized concerning organ integrity, growth, fertility and health but few and contradictory data are available on IGF-I that mediates most effects of GH. Furthermore, nothing is known on IGF-II. Thus, the expression of both IGFs in liver and various extrahepatic sites of adult transgenic (GH-overexpressing) tilapia and age-matched wild-type fish was determined by real-time PCR. Both IGF-I and IGF-II mRNA were found in all organs investigated and were increased in gills, kidney, intestine, heart, testes, skeletal muscle and brain of the transgenics (IGF-I: 1.4-4-fold; IGF-II: 1.7-4.2-fold). Except for liver, brain and testis the increase in IGF-I mRNA was higher than that in IGF-II mRNA. In pituitary, no significant change in IGF-I or IGF-II mRNA was detected. In spleen, however, IGF-I and IGF-II mRNA were both decreased in the transgenics, IGF-I mRNA even by the 19-fold. In agreement, in situ hybridisation revealed a largely reduced number of IGF-I mRNA-containing leukocytes and macrophages when compared to wild-type. These observations may contribute to better understanding the reported impaired health of GH-transgenic fish. Growth enhancement of the transgenics may be due to the increased expression of both IGF-I and IGF-II in extrahepatic sites. It is also reasonable that the markedly enhanced expression of liver IGF-II mRNA that may mimick an early developmental stage is a further reason for increased growth.

Expression of endogenous and exogenous growth hormone (GH) messenger (m) RNA in a GH-transgenic tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

We have previously produced transgenic fish from crosses between a wild-type female tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and a G transgenic male. This line of growth-enhanced tilapia carries a single copy of a chinook salmon (s) growth hormone (GH) gene spliced to an ocean pout antifreeze promoter (OPA-FPcsGH) co-ligated to a carp beta-actin/lacZ reporter gene construct, integrated into the tilapia genome. Because little is known about the expression sites of transgenes, we have characterised the gene expression patterns of sGH and tilapia (t)GH in transgenic tilapia using a newly established real-time PCR to measure the absolute mRNA amounts of both hormones. The sGH gene, which was expected to be expressed mainly in liver, was also found to be expressed in other organs, such as gills, heart, brain, skeletal muscle, kidney, spleen, intestine and testes. However, in pituitary no sGH mRNA but only tGH mRNA was found. Tilapia GH mRNA in wild-type pituitary amounted to 226 +/- 30 pg/microg total RNA but in transgenics only to 187 +/- 43 pg/microg total RNA. Liver exhibited the highest level of sGH mRNA (8.3 +/- 2.5 pg/microg total RNA) but the extrahepatic sites expressed considerable amounts of sGH mRNA ranging from 4.1 +/- 2.0 pg/microg total RNA in gills to 0.2 +/- 0.08 pg/microg total RNA in kidney. The widespread expression of the sGH gene is assumed to be due to the tissue specificity of the type III AFP gene promoter. It is assumed that our transgenic experiments, which in contrast to some other approaches caused no obvious organ abnormalities, mimick the GH expression during ontogeny. Because sGH mRNA is expressed both in liver and in extrahepatic sites it may not only promote secretion and release of liver-derived (endocrine) IGF-I leading to an overall growth enhancement but also stimulate IGF-I expression within the different organs in a paracrine/autocrine manner and, thus, further promote organ growth.

Fish as bioreactors: transgene expression of human coagulation factor VII in fish embryos.

A plasmid containing human coagulation factor VII (hFVII) complementary DNA regulated by a cytomegalovirus promoter was microinjected into fertilized eggs of zebrafish, African catfish, and tilapia. The active form of hFVll was detected in the fish embryos by various assays. This positive expression of human therapeutic protein in fish embryos demonstrates the possibility of exploitation of transgenic fish as bioreactors.

Isolation and expression of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) serine 8-type GnRH coding and regulatory sequences.

The complete Serine 8-type gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) coding sequence with a substantial 5-prime regulatory sequence (5 kb) has been isolated and characterised in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) from a relevant genomic library. The primary structure of the protein precursor was identified for this gene. The promoter efficacy has been tested using 0.6 kb of the GnRH promoter driving a lacZ reporter gene in both cultured spleen cells and transiently expressing zebrafish. In the cell transfection experiments, the average level of beta-galactosidase activity in transfected cells was more than 2.1 (P<0.05) times higher than the control promoter-less vector in five independent cultures indicating that the 0.6 GnRH/lacZ construct is able to express in spleen cells. In addition, the transient expression of the lacZ gene was detected in the brain of G0 zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio) 4 days after fertilisation following egg injection with the construct, which demonstrated the efficacy of the tilapia GnRH promoter.

Isolation and characterisation of tilapia beta-actin promoter and comparison of its activity with carp beta-actin promoter.

The regulatory sequence including proximal promoter, untranslated exon 1 and intron 1 of the beta-actin gene from tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) has been isolated and spliced to a beta-galactosidase reporter gene to test its activity. Comparisons of promoter activity have been carried out with three different constructs: (1) 1.6 kb tilapia beta-actin regulatory sequence, (2) 1.5 kb carp beta-actin regulatory sequence, and (3) 4.7 kb carp beta-actin regulatory sequence. Although the 1.6 kb tilapia beta-actin regulatory sequence gave slightly different expression patterns in tilapia embryos assayed by in situ X-gal staining, no difference was observed in expression level when the tilapia sequence was compared with the 4.7 kb carp beta-actin regulatory sequence by quantitative assay. In comparison with the 1.5 kb carp beta-actin regulatory sequence, the 1.6 kb tilapia beta-actin regulatory sequence gave higher expression levels in tilapia embryos, while a reverse result was observed in zebrafish embryos. In cell transfection experiments, the 1.6 kb tilapia beta-actin regulatory sequence showed three to four times better activity in blue gill cells than either the 4.7 kb carp beta-actin or the 1.5 kb carp beta-actin regulatory sequences. The 1.6 kb tilapia beta-actin regulatory sequence also drove higher reporter gene activity in somatic cells of tilapia than did the 4.7 kb carp beta-actin regulatory sequence following direct injection of constructs into muscle. Therefore, taken together, the data demonstrate that the tilapia beta-actin promoter can be used as an efficient regulatory sequence to produce autotransgenic tilapia.