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Identification of Wap65, a human homologue of hemopexin as a copper-inducible gene in swordtail fish, Xiphophorus helleri

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry volume 34, pages 129–138 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Copper is one of the major heavy metal pollutants found in the aquatic environment. Therefore, it is important for determining the genes that play a key role in copper metabolism in aquatic organisms. This study, thus, aimed to identify a new copper-inducible gene in swordtail fish, Xiphophorus helleri. Using ACP-based RT-PCR coupled with RLM-RACE, we cloned Wap65, a mammalian homologue of hemopexin gene. The gene exhibits high identity at amino acid levels with the Wap65 gene of other fish species (42–68%) and mammalian hemopexin gene (35–37%). In addition, ten cysteine and two histidine residues are conserved in the swordtail fish Wap65 gene. These cysteine residues are vital for structural integrity, and histidine residues provide high binding affinity towards heme. As revealed by RT-PCR, the gene was upregulated in swordtail fish that were exposed to copper in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Therefore, the identification of Wap65, a mammalian homologue of hemopexin, as a new copper-inducible gene will provide greater insight into the role of this gene in copper metabolism.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), Malaysia for the IRPA grant (305/PBIOLOGI/612802) awarded to Tengku Sifzizul Tengku Muhammad and Alexander Chong Shu-Chien, the National Science Fellowship awarded to Ida Shazrina Ismail, and, the Graduate Assistant Scheme awarded to Kuah Meng Kiat. Dwinna Aliza was supported by a Postgraduate Studentship from the Veterinary Medicine Faculty, Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Penang, Malaysia

    Dwinna Aliza, Ida Shazrina Ismail, Meng-Kiat Kuah, Alexander Chong Shu-Chien & Tengku Sifzizul Tengku Muhammad

  2. Malaysian Institute of Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Level 1, J05 Building, Science Complex, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Penang, Malaysia

    Tengku Sifzizul Tengku Muhammad

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  1. Dwinna Aliza
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  2. Ida Shazrina Ismail
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Correspondence to Tengku Sifzizul Tengku Muhammad.

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Aliza, D., Ismail, I.S., Kuah, MK. et al. Identification of Wap65, a human homologue of hemopexin as a copper-inducible gene in swordtail fish, Xiphophorus helleri . Fish Physiol Biochem 34, 129–138 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-007-9153-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-007-9153-6

Keywords

  • ACP-based RT-PCR
  • Aquatic
  • Cloning
  • Pollution
  • mRNA expression
  • RLM-RACE

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