[Molecular cloning of full-long cDNA sequences encoding hairless gene in the Kunming mouse]

The mouse hairless gene is a crucial nuclear receptor gene associated with the structure of hair and skin. It encodes a putative zinc finger transcription factor, and is a transcriptional corepressor for thyroid hormone receptors. Hairless gene plays a critical role in maintaining the delicate balance between cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis in the hair follicle as well as in the interfollicular epidermis, and is concerned with the control of hair growth cycling. This study was designed to clone and analyze the cDNA encoding Hr from Kunming mouse. The RT-PCR method was developed to clone the Hr cDNA. A full-length cDNA and CDS sequences of Kunming mouse were 4104bp and 3546bp, respectively, which has been accepted by GenBank (Accession Number: AY547391). Accession number of protein encoded by AY547391 sequence in GenBank is AAT45233 , composed of 1181 amino acid residues. The Hr cDNA of Kunming mouse was cloned and sequenced for the first time. The identities of CDS of Hr gene were 99.9%, 94.4%, 83.1%, 78.1%, 81.9% and 82.1% by homologous comparison among Kunming mouse and other six species, and that were 99.9%, 92.2%, 81.7%, 70.8%, 79.9% and 80.1% respectively in amino acid sequences. The results suggested a high degree of conservation and thus functional significance of the Hr gene among different mammalian taxons. The results derived from information searching by Blast program revealed that there were 4 SNP sites and one deletion mutation in the sequences of hairless gene mRNAs between Kunming mice and that collected in GenBank. Three SNP sites did not alter the related amino acids encoded. Two SNP proved to be polymorphism mutant sites with amino acids changes. The results provided new data for SNPs in Hr gene.