A DNA probe for transcription analysis of the proteolytic enzyme cathepsin B in the pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793)

摘要

Molecular techniques have been employed to develop a probe for the proteolytic enzyme cathepsin B in the Pacific oyster, C. gigas. Degenerate primers were used to amplify a 450 base pair (bp) fragment of the cathepsin B gene. Deduced amino acid sequence indicates 60, 59, and 59 percent identity with cathepsin B from human, rat and cow, respectively. Expression of cathepsin B was detected, by RT-PCR, in both larval and adult tissues. Northern blot analysis demonstrated expression of a single transcript of approximately 2.4 kb.