Molecular cloning and tissue distribution of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARα) and gamma (PPARγ) in the pigeon (Columba livia domestica)

Abstract

1. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) are involved in lipid metabolism through transcriptional regulation of target gene expression. The objective of the current study was to clone and characterise the PPARα and PPARγ genes in pigeon.

2. The full-length of 1941-bp PPARα and 1653-bp PPARγ were cloned from pigeons. The two genes were predicted to encode 468 and 475 amino acids, respectively. Both proteins contained two C4-type zinc fingers, a nuclear hormone receptor DNA-binding region signature and a HOLI domain (ligand binding domain of hormone receptors), and had high identities with other corresponding avian genes.

3. Using quantitative real-time PCR, pigeon PPARα gene expression was shown to be high in kidney, liver, gizzard and duodenum whereas PPARγ was predominantly expressed in adipose tissue.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors thank all the members in the institute for their generous technical advice.

FUNDING

This research was supported by National Natural Funds of China (No. 30871803 and No. 31072047).

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL

Supplementary material is available for this article and can be accessed via the online version of the journal at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2014.889281