Abstract
A cDNA clone encoding AmphiSAHH [amphioxus SAHH (S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase)] protein was isolated from a cDNA library from the gut of Branchiostoma belcheri tsingtaunese. It contained a 1305 bp open reading frame corresponding to a deduced protein of 434 amino acid residues, with a predicted molecular mass of approx. 47.8 kDa. Phylogenetic analysis showed that AmphiSAHH and sea-urchin SAHH joined together and positioned at the base of the vertebrate SAHH clade, suggesting that both AmphiSAHH and sea-urchin SAHH might share some characteristics of the archetype of vertebrate SAHH proteins. The genomic DNA sequence of AmphiSAHH contained eight exons and seven introns, which was similar to B. floridae and sea-urchin SAHH exon/intron organization. Sequence comparison suggested the evolutionary appearance of the ten exon/nine intron organization of SAHH genes after the split of invertebrates and vertebrates, after which it has been highly conserved. AmphiSAHH has been successfully expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. Western blotting confirmed that the enzyme has a native molecular mass of approx. 48 kDa, and the catalytic activities and NAD(+)/NADH binding affinity of recombinant AmphiSAHH were measured. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that SAHH was strongly expressed in hepatic caecum, gill, spermary and ovary of amphioxus.