Dataset Information

KIT is involved in melanocyte proliferation, apoptosis and melanogenesis in the Rex Rabbit.

ABSTRACT: Background:Melanocytes play an extremely important role in the process of skin and coat colors in mammals which is regulated by melanin-related genes. Previous studies have demonstrated that KIT is implicated in the process of determining the color of the coat in Rex rabbits. However, the effect of KIT on the proliferation and apoptosis of melanocytes and melanogenesis has not been clarified. Methods:The mRNA and protein expression levels of KIT were quantified in different coat colored rabbits by qRT-PCR and a Wes assay. To identify whether KIT functions by regulating of melanogenesis, KIT overexpression and knockdown was conducted in melanocytes, and KIT mRNA expression and melanin-related genes TYR, MITF, PMEL and DCT were quantified by qRT-PCR. To further confirm whether KIT influences melanogenesis in melanocytes, melanin content was quantified using NaOH lysis after overexpression and knockdown of KIT. Melanocyte proliferation was estimated using a CCK-8 assay at 0, 24, 48 and 72 h after transfection, and the rate of apoptosis of melanocytes was measured by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Results:KITmRNA and protein expression levels were significantly different in the skin of Rex rabbits with different color coats (P < 0.05), the greatest levels observed in those with black skin. The mRNA expression levels of KIT significantly affected the mRNA expression of the pigmentation-related genes TYR, MITF, PMEL and DCT (P < 0.01). Melanin content was evidently regulated by the change in expression patterns of KIT (P < 0.01). In addition, KIT clearly promoted melanocyte proliferation, but inhibited apoptosis. Conclusions:Our results reveal that KIT is a critical gene in the regulation of melanogenesis, controlling proliferation and apoptosis in melanocytes, providing additional evidence for the mechanism of pigmentation of animal fur.

SUBMITTER: Hu S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7306216 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

KIT is involved in melanocyte proliferation, apoptosis and melanogenesis in the Rex Rabbit.

Hu Shuaishuai S Chen Yang Y Zhao Bohao B Yang Naisu N Chen Shi S Shen Jinyu J Bao Guolian G Wu Xinsheng X

PeerJ 20200618

<h4>Background</h4>Melanocytes play an extremely important role in the process of skin and coat colors in mammals which is regulated by melanin-related genes. Previous studies have demonstrated that KIT is implicated in the process of determining the color of the coat in Rex rabbits. However, the effect of KIT on the proliferation and apoptosis of melanocytes and melanogenesis has not been clarified.<h4>Methods</h4>The mRNA and protein expression levels of KIT were quantified in different coat c ...[more]

PMID: 32596061

Similar Datasets

Project description:The retention of particular genes after the whole genome duplication in zebrafish has given insights into how genes may evolve through partitioning of ancestral functions. We examine the partitioning of expression patterns and functions of two zebrafish kit ligands, kit ligand a (kitla) and kit ligand b (kitlb), and discuss their possible coevolution with the duplicated zebrafish kit receptors (kita and kitb). In situ hybridizations show that kitla mRNA is expressed in the trunk adjacent to the notochord in the middle of each somite during stages of melanocyte migration and later expressed in the skin, when the receptor is required for melanocyte survival. kitla is also expressed in other regions complementary to kita receptor expression, including the pineal gland, tail bud, and ear. In contrast, kitlb mRNA is expressed in brain ventricles, ear, and cardinal vein plexus, in regions generally not complementary to either zebrafish kit receptor ortholog. However, like kitla, kitlb is expressed in the skin during stages consistent with melanocyte survival. Thus, it appears that kita and kitla have maintained congruent expression patterns, while kitb and kitlb have evolved divergent expression patterns. We demonstrate the interaction of kita and kitla by morpholino knockdown analysis. kitla morphants, but not kitlb morphants, phenocopy the null allele of kita, with defects for both melanocyte migration and survival. Furthermore, kitla morpholino, but not kitlb morpholino, interacts genetically with a sensitized allele of kita, confirming that kitla is the functional ligand to kita. Last, we examine kitla overexpression in embryos, which results in hyperpigmentation caused by an increase in the number and size of melanocytes. This hyperpigmentation is dependent on kita function. We conclude that following genome duplication, kita and kitla have maintained their receptor-ligand relationship, coevolved complementary expression patterns, and that functional analysis reveals that most or all of the kita receptor's function in the embryo are promoted by its interaction with kitla.

Dataset Information

KIT is involved in melanocyte proliferation, apoptosis and melanogenesis in the Rex Rabbit.

Publications

KIT is involved in melanocyte proliferation, apoptosis and melanogenesis in the Rex Rabbit.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets