Identification of apoptosis-related genes Bcl2 and Bax from yellow catfish Pelteobagrus fulvidraco and their transcriptional responses to waterborne and dietborne zinc exposure

Apoptosis plays a key role in the physiology of multicellular organisms, and has been well studied in mammals, but not in teleosts. Zinc (Zn) has been shown to be an important regulator of apoptosis and apoptosis involves in the regulation of lipid metabolism. Moreover, our recent study indicated that waterborne and dietborne Zn exposure differently influenced lipid metabolism in Pelteobagrus fulvidraco, but further mechanism remained unknown. The hypothesis of the present study is that apoptosis mediated the Zn-induced changes of lipid metabolism of P. fulvidraco subjected to different exposure pathways. To this end, we cloned full-length cDNA sequences of Bcl2 and three Bax subtypes involved in apoptosis in P. fulvidraco, explored their mRNA expressions in responses to different Zn exposure pathways. Bcl2 and three Bax subtypes shared similar domain structure as typical pro- and anti-apoptotic Bcl2 family members. Their mRNAs were widely expressed among various tissues, but at variable levels. Waterborne Zn exposure down-regulated mRNA levels of Baxg and ratios of Baxa/Bcl2, and Baxg/Bcl2, but showed no significant effects on mRNA abundances of Bcl2, Baxa and Baxb, and the ratio of Baxb/Bcl2. In contrast, dietborne Zn exposure up-regulated mRNA levels of Bcl2, Baxa, Baxb and Baxg, but reduced the ratios of Baxa/Bcl2, Baxb/Bcl2, and Baxg/Bcl2. Considering their important roles of these genes in apoptosis induced by Zn, apoptosis may mediate the Zn-induced changes of hepatic lipid metabolism of Pelteobagrus fulvidraco under different Zn exposure pathways. For the first time, we characterized the full-length cDNA sequences of Bcl2 and three Bax subtypes, determined their expression profiles and transcriptional responses to different Zn exposure pathways, which would contribute to our understanding of the molecular basis of apoptosis, and also provide new insights into physiological responses to different Zn exposure pathways.