Growth arrest specific gene 2 in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus): molecular characterization and functional analysis under low-temperature stress

BACKGROUND: Growth arrest specific 2 (gas2) gene is a component of the microfilament system that plays a major role in the cell cycle, regulation of microfilaments, and cell morphology during apoptotic processes. However, little information is available on fish gas2. In this study, the tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) gas2 gene was cloned and characterized for the first time. RESULTS: The open reading frame was 1020 bp, encoding 340 amino acids; the 5′-untranslated region (UTR) was 140 bp and the 3′-UTR was 70 bp, with a poly (A) tail. The highest promoter activity occurred in the regulatory region (–3000 to –2400 bp). The Gas2-GFP fusion protein was distributed within the cytoplasm. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses revealed that gas2 gene expression levels in the liver, muscle, and brain were clearly affected by low temperature stress. The results of gas2 RNAi showed decreased expression of the gas2 and P53 genes. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the tilapia gas2 gene may be involved in low temperature stress-induced apoptosis. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12867-017-0095-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.