CLONING AND EXPRESSION PATTERN ANALYSIS OF TRANSFERRIN GENE IN YELLOW POND TURTLE

Transferrin plays an important role in the iron metabolism and participates in the immune response after infectedby the bacterial. The full-length Tf genomic cDNA sequence was cloned, and the characteristics of Tf gene sequencewere analyzed. Sequencing analysis showed that Tf of the Yellow pond turtle constituted a single peptide chainby two similar domains, each domain consisted of two subunits, which interacted each other and formed a deep, hydrophiliciron binding sites. The Tf genomic DNA contained 17 exons and 16 introns, and the structure of Tf gene similar toother vertebrates, which showed that the Tf gene structure of the Yellow Pond Turtle was conserved. Homologousanalysis showed that the homology of the Tf gene among the Yellow Pond Turtle, birds and reptiles was about75%—97%; the homology of the Tf gene between the Yellow Pond Turtle and mammalian 65%—75%; the homology ofthe Tf gene among the Yellow Pond Turtle, Xenopus laevis and other amphibians was very little. Quantitative PCR resultsshowed that the expression of MaTf in the liver, spleen, kidney and heart tissues increased after infected by Serratiamarcescens in different time, and the characteristics was similar with other animals which were infected by a pathogen.