The molecular characterization of the brain protein 44-like (Brp44l) gene of Gekko japonicus and its expression changes in spinal cord after tail amputation.

The cDNA encoding brain protein 44-like (Brp44l) was identified from the brain and spinal cord cDNA library of Gekko japonicus. It contains a 324 bp open reading frame corresponding to a deduced protein of 107 amino acids. The molecular weight of the BRP44L protein is 12.2664 kDa and its theoretical pI is 9.67. At amino acid level, the BRP44L from gecko shares 85-89% similarity with those from other species. Northern blotting showed that Brp44l was ubiquitously expressed in the major organs of Gekko japonicus including brain, spinal cord, heart, lung, liver, and kidney, suggesting a fundamental biological role of this gene. In situ hybridization (ISH) revealed that positive hybridization signals were present in gray matter of spinal cord. The change of Brp44l expression in spinal cord after tail amputation was examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The expression level of this gene increased in the spinal cord after tail amputation, and reached the highest value at 1 week after tail amputation, which indicated that the expression level of Brp44l might be associated with the process of spinal cord injury and regeneration.