Identification and characterisation of alternative transcriptional variants of PDGFRL in two lines of commercial poultry |
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| Authors: | N. A. McDerment P. M. Hocking I. C. Dunn |
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| Affiliation: | The Roslin Institute & R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK |
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| Abstract: | The platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF) family of genes and their receptors are involved in angiogenesis and steroid hormone production. A putative member of the family, platelet‐derived growth factor receptor‐like (PDGFRL), has been implicated in steroid‐based feedback mechanisms within the chicken reproductive system. Three potential variants of PDGFRL were identified in the chicken, supported by in silico prediction and EST sequencing. The three potential transcripts have been further verified and the 5′ terminal regions sequenced in this research. The sum of expression of all three transcripts in broiler breeders (the parents of broiler chickens) has been shown to be consistent with total expression of the gene. However, cumulative expression of the three transcripts in a range of tissues in egg layers was significantly short of total expression, indicating the existence of potential additional variants. Two additional variants were subsequently identified in egg layer cerebellum tissue and the 5′ terminal regions sequenced. Sequence analysis of the three initial variants suggests that only one variant, which was the most abundant in broiler breeders and the majority of egg layer tissues, had a functional signal peptide. Although 5′ RACE identified two additional transcripts in egg layers, the most likely protein translations indicated that these variants possessed no functional signal peptide, suggesting that, if they have a function, it is not a traditional one. |
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| Keywords: | broiler breeder cerebellum chicken egg layer gene expression gene sequencing ovary |
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