Cloning, characterisation and expression analysis of the HtTLR2 gene in Helice tientsinensis Rathbun, 1931

Molecular Cloning and Functional Analysis of CTL14 and PPO4: Their Roles in Development, Reproduction, and Antiviral Defense in Hyphantria cunea

Findings underscore the crucial roles of CTL14 and PPO4 as they are involved in both the antiviral defense system and the physiological development of H. cunea, thereby identifying them as potential novel targets for biological pest control strategies.

Functional Characterization of Tret1-like Gene and Its Critical Role in Regulating Growth in Macrobrachium nipponense by RNA Interference

Findings substantiate a positive regulatory role of Mn-Tret1 in governing growth performance in M. nipponense and contributes to a deeper mechanistic understanding of growth regulation in this freshwater prawn species.

The ELAVL gene family in large yellow croaker: LcELAVL1a is an immune-active member with direct antibacterial and cell-protective functions.

Results demonstrate that LcELAVL1a functions as an immune-active protein in large yellow croaker and provide new insights into the functional diversity of the ELAVL family in teleost fish.

The versatile TRAF3 from sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus intermedius) interacts with MyD88 and regulates host immunity.

SiTRAF3 is identified as a pivotal scaffold protein in the echinoid innate immune system, as it significantly drove the promoter activities of nuclear factor kappa-B, activator protein-1, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, along with multiple inflammatory cytokines and interferon-related elements.

Genome-wide characterization of the bZIP gene family in Rattus norvegicus and expression profiling analysis during brain development

The brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) serves as a cornerstone model organism in biomedical research, particularly for understanding physiological homeostasis and stress responses. The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor family is a pivotal regulatory network involved in growth, organogenesis, and neurodevelopment. Despite its importance, a systematic characterization of the bZIP gene family in rats has remained elusive. In this study, we performed a genome-wide identification of 61 RnbZIP genes, which were categorized into 10 distinct subfamilies based on phylogenetic relationships and chromosomal localization. Structural analysis revealed conserved motif arrangements within subfamilies, while collinearity analysis identified significant gene duplication events—predominantly tandem and segmental duplications—that have driven the evolutionary expansion of the RnbZIP family. Quantitative analysis showed that members within the same subfamily shared 45%–92% sequence similarity (calculated using the BLOSUM62 scoring matrix), and all duplicated gene pairs underwent strong purifying selection (Ka/Ks < 1). Comparative genomics across seven rodent species further underscored the evolutionary conservation and divergence of these factors. Expression profiling across diverse organs and brain developmental stages indicated that RnbZIP genes exhibit high tissue specificity. Notably, 10 candidate genes, including RnbZIP01, RnbZIP02, and RnbZIP08, demonstrated dynamic expression patterns during brain maturation, suggesting their essential roles in neurodevelopmental processes. Our findings provide a comprehensive structural and evolutionary framework for the RnbZIP gene family, highlighting their potential regulatory functions in rat organogenesis and brain development. This study establishes a valuable resource for further functional characterization of specific bZIP members in mammalian neurological systems.

Genetic Variation and Evolutionary Conservation of Innate Immunity Genes in Pakistani Yak (Bos grunniens)