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Vitellogenin precursors in the liver of the oviparous lizard, Podarcis sicula
Author(s) -
Rosanova Patrizia,
Romano Maurizio,
Marciano Raffaella,
Anteo Chiara,
Limatola Ermelinda
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
molecular reproduction and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1098-2795
pISSN - 1040-452X
DOI - 10.1002/mrd.90019
Subject(s) - oviparity , biology , vitellogenin , endoplasmic reticulum , lizard , golgi apparatus , microsome , sauria , vitellogenins , microbiology and biotechnology , vitellogenesis , biochemistry , medicine , zoology , enzyme , embryo , oocyte , gene
In reptiles, as in the other oviparous vertebrates, vitellogenin (VTG) synthesis is stimulated in the liver by ovarian estrogens. In this article, the presence of VTG precursors was detected in liver subcellular fractions of the oviparous lizard, Podarcis sicula , in the reproductive period. The rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and the smooth microsomal fraction (SMF), which includes smooth endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex, were separated by means of two different sucrose gradients. The successful separation was controlled at the electron microscope. The contents of the different compartments were extracted by means of n‐octyl‐β‐ D ‐glucopiranoside detergent and subjected to SDS–PAGE. Western Blotting with homologous anti/VTG antibody revealed two immunoreactive proteins of about 84 and 70 kDa in the RER, and four proteins of about 180, 150, 60, 50 kDa in the SMF; all these proteins appeared phosphorylated and glycosylated. The differences in the molecular weight of these VTG precursors are discussed. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 63: 349–354, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.