Molecular characterization of porcine hyaluronidase genes 1, 2, and 3 clustered on SSC13q21.

Hyaluronidase genes (HYAL) encode hyaluronidase enzymes required for hyaluronan degradation. Both in humans and in mouse, clustered hyaluronidase genes have been identified. Here, the porcine hyaluronidase cluster consisting of genes HYAL1, HYAL2 and HYAL3 was characterized. The porcine cDNA sequences and proteins share homologies to human orthologs of 85 and 81% for HYAL1, 87 and 89% for HYAL2 and 86 and 83% for HYAL3, respectively. The porcine hyaluronidase proteins approximately share a 40% homology with each other. Furthermore, genes FUS1 and FUS2 were found within this cluster, which was assigned to SSC13q21. A total of seven SNPs were detected in the genes (four in HYAL1, two in HYAL2 and one in HYAL3). Three of the four SNPs in HYAL1 led to amino acid exchanges (C622G --> Asp24 to Glu; C633T --> Pro28 to Leu, and G1298T --> Ala250 to Ser). The amino acid replacements induce putative changes in the extended strand at Asp24, in the extended strand and the random coil at Pro28, and finally in the random coil and the alpha helix at Ala250. Frequency estimations for four SNPs located in genes HYAL1 and HYAL3 using animals (n = 295) of nine European and six Chinese pig breeds indicated several significant deviations. For example, there were no significant differences in allele frequencies between pigs representing breeds Hampshire and Jiangquhai at SNP C633T (HYAL1), but between Hampshire respectively Jiangquhai animals and Rongchang pigs. Analysis of the same breeds at SNP C588T (HYAL3) indicates significant differences between Hampshire and Jiangquhai respectively Rongchang, but not between Jiangquhai and Rongchang. The breed Göttingen Minipig displayed significant differences concerning two SNPs with respect to the other European pig breeds tested. For all three hyaluronidase genes, N-glycosylation sites are typical. For HYAL2 the lysosomal character was proven. The catalytic site responsible for HAase activity is conserved in the three enzymes. Expression of hyaluronidases was determined by RT-PCR and quantitative PCR. Broad gene expression was observed in different tissues for the three genes, respectively.

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