ACTA VETERINARIA ET ZOOTECHNICA SINICA ›› 2015, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (6): 957-964.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2015.06.011

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Differential Expression of the Syntaxin 4 in Differential Coat Color Mice Skin

XIE Jian-shan1# ,ZHANG Dan-jin1# ,GUO Yan-ni1,FAN Rui-wen1,XU Dong-mei1,YANG Yu-jing1,NIE Rui-qiang1,YU Xiu-ju1,DUAN Li-sheng1,ZHU Zhi-wei2,GAO Wen-jun1 ,HE Xiao-yan1,DONG Chang-sheng1*   

  1. (1.College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine,Shanxi Agricultural University,Taigu 030801,China;2.College of Life Science,Shanxi Agricultural University,Taigu 030801,China)
  • Received:2015-02-09 Online:2015-06-23 Published:2015-06-23

Abstract:

The aim of the present study was to determine whether STX4 is associated with coat color formation in mice. The expression and localization of STX4 in mice skins and melanocytes were investigated. Three different coat color skins, white, grey and black, were collected from the back of 6 white Kunming mice, the abdomen of 6 C57BL/6 mice and the back of 6 C57BL/6 mice, respectively. Melanocytes were cultured in vitro. The expression of STX4 in these skin and cell samples were analyzed by standard RT-PCR, quantitative real-time PCR, immunohistochemical staining and Western blot. The 897 bp sequence of STX4 CDS region was successfully amplified from 3 different coat color mice skins and melanocytes cultured in vitro by RT-PCR. Real-time PCR analysis revealed that STX4 was expressed in mice skins of all coat colors. STX4 showed the highest expression in black skin, which was 3.44 times higher than white skin. The expression of STX4 in grey skin was 1.92 times higher than white skin. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that STX4 was expressed in whole hair follicles in white and black skins including keratinocytes, as well as in melanocytes cultured in vitro. Western blot results showed positive STX4 bands in white, grey and black skin samples and melanocytes cultured in vitro. These results were consistent with the real-time PCR results. In conclusion, STX4 is expressed in mice skins, hair follicles, keratinocytes, and melanocytes, and the expression of STX4 increases as the coat color deepens. Therefore, it is speculated that STX4 is positively correlated to coat color formation in mice.

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