Promoter methylation and expression of rassf4 gene in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

Oreochromis niloticus RAS-association domain family 4 (rassf4) was specifically expressed in the ovaries. Immunohistochemistry results showed that Rassf4 was located in follicular cells. The methylation percentages of the promoter region (-734/-1012) of rassf4 in the ovaries and testes were 13.28% and 92.85%, respectively. Deleting the fragment of -734 to -1012 sites significantly reduced the basal activity of the rassf4 promoter to 62.33%, which indicated that this region was important for the transcription of rassf4 gene. This study lays the foundation for further research on the function of fish rassf4. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.