Molecular characterization and developmental expression patterns of thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) and their responsiveness to TR agonist and antagonist in Rana nigromaculata
Qinqin Lou
,
Yinfeng Zhang
,
Dongkai Ren
,
Haiming Xu
,
Yaxian Zhao
,
Zhanfen Qin
,
Wuji Wei
DOI:10.1016/j.jes.2014.08.008
Received November 05, 2013,Revised April 03, 2014, Accepted , Available online October 22, 2014
Volume 26,2014,Pages 2084-2094
Considering some advantages of Rana nigromaculata as an experimental species, we propose that this species, like Xenopus laevis, could be used to assay thyroid hormone (TH) signaling disrupting actions. To validate the utilizability of R. nigromaculata, we investigated the responsiveness of R. nigromaculata to a TH receptor (TR) agonist (T3) and antagonist (amiodarone) by analyzing expression, based on characterizing TR cDNA and developmental expression patterns.With high levels of identity with the corresponding genes in X. laevis, both TRα and TRβ in R. nigromaculata exhibited roughly similar developmental expression patterns to those of X. laevis, in spite of somespecies-specific differences. Both TRα and TRβ expression had greater changes in the liver and intestine than in the tail and brain during metamorphosis. T3 exposure for 2 days inducedmore dramatic increases of TRβ expressioninstage27 than instage 34 tadpoles but not in stage 42 tadpoles, showing that the responsiveness of R. nigromaculata to TH decreased with development and disappeared at the onset of metamorphic climax. Corresponding to greater changes of TRβ expression in the liver and intestine than in the tail and brain during metamorphosis, the liver and intestine had higher responsiveness to exogenous T3 than the tail and brain. Amiodarone inhibited T3-induced TRβ expression. Our results show that R. nigromaculata can be used as a model species for assaying TH signaling disrupting actions by analyzing TRβ expression, and intestine tissues at stage 27 are ideal test materials due to high responsiveness and easy accessibility.
