ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To establish a testicular Occludin gene knockout model in mice and observe the phenotypic changes. METHODS: Occludin-floxed (genotype Floxp/-) mice were constructed based on the Cre/loxp system, which were cross-bred with AQP2-cre (genotype Cre/-) mice to derive Occludin knockout mice (Genotype Floxp/Floxp Cre/-). The genotype of the F1 knockout mice was identified by PCR and Southern blot technology. The expression of the Occludin protein in the knockout mice was determined by qPCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry to verify the success of the modeling. Comparisons were made in the sperm count between the model and normal mice, followed by analysis of their fertility. RESULTS: The target mice of Occludin knockout were successfully constructed, which, compared with the normal controls, showed significantly down-regulated expression of the occludin protein, decreased sperm count and reduced fertility (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Occludin gene knockout mice were successfully constructed, and deletion of Occludin affects the reproductive function of the mice.
Subject(s)
Infertility, Male/genetics , Occludin , Testis , Animals , Disease Models, Animal , Gene Knockout Techniques , Male , Mice , Mice, Knockout , Occludin/geneticsABSTRACT
The mitochondrial genome of Beauveria lii, strain RCEF500, was sequenced on the NovaSeq 6000 and the Nanopore Sequencer, and annotated. The genome is 59,014 bp in length, encoding 15 conserved protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 rRNA genes and 23 tRNA genes. The nucleotide composition of Beauveria lii mitochondrial genome was 38.23% of A, 35.81% of T, 11.61% of C, 14.36% of G, 25.97% of G + C content. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed B. lii as a member of Beauveria (Cordycipitaceae). The mitochondrial genome of B. lii will contribute to the understanding of phylogeny and evolution of the genus and family.
ABSTRACT
The population genetic structure of Isaria cicadae, which caused enzootic of cicadas nymphs in three regions, was analyzed by ISSR marker. The results showed that all three enzootic populations showed high genetic diversity with the highest in the Jingtingshan population and the lowest in the Shitai population. The UPGMA clustering analysis revealed that different enzootic populations did not have a predominant lineage but were polyphyletic and heterogeneous. Genetic lineages had nothing to do with geographical origin. However, two subpopulations of Jingtingshan from different sampling periods were gathered into different clades, which exhibited remarkable temporal heterogeneity. The genetic differentiation (Gst) among populations (subpopulations) was 0.2153 and the gene flow was low at 0.9110 (Nmï¼1), which indicated the low gene flow was one of the main reasons for the genetic variation in the population. Therefore, high heterogeneity and low dominance might be genetic structure characteristics of I. cicadae population causing enzootic of cicada nymphs.
