Molecular structure and organization of crustacean hyperglycemic hormone genes of Penaeus monodon

The Crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) has been shown to exist as multiple molecular forms in several crustacean species. In Penaeus monodon, a gene encoding CHH (so-called Pem-CHH1) was recently described. In this study, the molecular structures of two other CHH genes (Pem-CHH2 and Pem-CHH3) are reported. Both the Pem-CHH2 and Pem-CHH3 genes contain three exons that are separated by two introns that are similar to the structure of other genes in the same family. An analysis of the upstream nucleotide sequences of each Pem-CHH gene has identified the putative promoter element (TATA box) and putative binding sites for several transcription factors. The binding sites for CREB, Pit-1, and AP-1 were found upstream of all three Pem-CHH genes. A Southern blot analysis showed that at least one copy of each Pem-CHH gene was located within the same 10 kb genomic DNA fragment. These results suggest that the CHH genes are arranged in a cluster in the genome of P. monodon, and that their expression may be modulated by similar mechanisms.