Journal of Guangxi Normal University(Natural Science Edition) ›› 2025, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (3): 201-212.doi: 10.16088/j.issn.1001-6600.2024041603

• Molecular Biology and Biotechnology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Molecular Characterization of Circadian Clock Gene from Giant Spiny Frogs (Quasipaa spinosa) and Its Transcriptional Regulation During Different Developmental Stages

YUAN Hong1,2, WANG Xiaodong1,2,3, WEI Xiuying1,2, WANG Jiapin1,2, CHEN Yifang1,2, YAO Hongyan1,2, CHEN Dunxue1,2*   

  1. 1. College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang Guizhou 550025, China;
    2. Guizhou Baiyun Quasipaa spinosa Science and Technology Small Hospital (Guizhou University), Guiyang Guizhou 510080, China;
    3. Department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Guizhou Vocational Collegeof Agriculture, Guiyang Guizhou 551400, China)
  • Received:2024-04-16 Revised:2024-05-23 Online:2025-05-05 Published:2025-05-14

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Abstract: The circadian clock governs intrinsic daily oscillations in organisms. Nevertheless, the circadian fluctuations of the Clock constituents in Quasipaa spinosa have yet to be characterized. The frog primarily exhibits diurnal behavior during its tadpole stage, but undergoes a transition to nocturnal activity upon reaching the frogling stage. To comprehend the shift from diurnal to nocturnal behavior in the evolutionary progression, it is crucial to acquire profound understanding of the light-dark circadian system exhibited by amphibians. In current study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the circadian clock regulation of the Clock gene in this frog. The Qsclock protein features a pivotal HLH domain, two PAS domains, and a PAC domain that demonstrates heightened conservation across various species. Evolutionary analysis revealed that the Clock gene could be classified into two distinct groups: group A and group B. Five key daily rhythmicity genes (Clock, Bmal1, Per2, Cry1, and RoRα) were specifically chosen to comprehensively investigate the transcriptional regulation involved in promoting growth in frogs throughout different tissues and developmental stages. The tissue distribution analyses revealed the ubiquitous expression of the Clock gene across all tissues and all development stages, with the highest levels of expression observed during the metamorphosis stage in all examined tissues. The analysis of cooperative regulation of rhythm revealed a synchronization in Clock and Bmal1 genes, characterized by peak levels observed during nighttime. Furthermore, both Per2 and Cry1 exhibited an early peak expression at the onset of the day. However, the expression patterns of Per2 and Cry1 exhibited tissue specificity with Cry1 genes displayed another transient peak of expression in muscle, brain, liver, and heart tissues during the T4 stage. This could potentially be linked to the increased levels of melatonin during nighttime or the behavioral patterns observed in experimental animals. The findings provide valuable insights into the intricate light-dark circadian system of amphibians.

Key words: Quasipaa spinosa, Clock gene, circadian rhythm, evolutionary, expression profile, synchronization

CLC Number:  S917.4
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