摘要
Abstract
This study investigated seasonal expression differences of the melatonin receptor type 1(Mt1)gene in the prostate tissue of male muskrats and analyzed its RNA and protein structural features and functions.Prostate tissues were collected during breeding and non-breeding seasons,and Mt1 mRNA expression levels were detected via quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR).mRNA secondary structure prediction,protein physicochemical property analysis,transmembrane structure prediction,and protein interaction network analysis were performed to elucidate its potential regulatory mechanisms in seasonal reproduction.Results revealed that Mt1 mRNA expression in the prostate during the non-breeding season was significantly higher than during the breeding season(P<0.0001),suggesting its role in maintaining tissue homeostasis in the non-breeding phase.RNA structure prediction indicated that Mt1 mRNA adopts a multi-stem-loop conformation with a minimum free energy(MFE)of-1 444.7 kJ/mol.The Mt1 protein,characterized by seven transmembrane helices(spanning 161 amino acids),exhibited a theoretical isoelectric point(pI)of 9.45,strong hydrophobicity,and 12 cysteine residues in its extracellular domains,potentially stabilizing its conformation via disulfide bonds.SMART domain prediction classified Mt1 into the Srsx subfamily,aligning with functional features of spermatogenesis-related proteins.Protein interaction network analysis demonstrated that Mt1's network relies heavily on heterotrimeric G-proteins(Gαi/Gβγ),with Gpr50 potentially acting as a regulatory partner.We hypothesize that elevated Mt1 expression during the non-breeding season may regulate prostate metabolic quiescence through interactions with Gαi subunits,Gβγ complexes,and GPR50,adapting to reproductive suppression under long-day photoperiods.Based on the comprehensive analysis,the highly significant seasonal expression of the Mt1 gene in the muskrat(Ondatra zibethicus)prostate regulates prostatic metabolism through its multi-stem-loop RNA structure,transmembrane protein characteristics,and G-protein interaction network.This molecular adaptive mechanism mediates seasonal reproductive suppression under long photoperiod conditions.关键词
麝鼠/前列腺/季节性繁殖/Mt1基因/生物信息学分析Key words
Ondatra zibethicus/prostate/seasonal breeding/Mt1 gene/bioinformatics analysis分类
生物科学
