Transcription factor C/EBPβ promotes the transcription of the porcine GPR120 gene.

G protein-coupled receptor 120 (GPR120), an adipogenic receptor critical for the differentiation and maturation of adipocytes, plays an important role in controlling obesity in both humans and rodents and, thus, is an attractive target of obesity treatment studies. However, the mechanisms that regulate the expression of porcine GPR120 remain unclear. In this study, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) techniques were used to analyze and identify the binding of C/EBPβ (transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta) to the GPR120 promoter.

Molecular characterization, expression analysis and association study with meat quality traits of porcine TTID gene.

Titin immunoglobulin domain protein (TTID) is localized to the Z-line and binds to alpha-actinin, gamma-filamin. It plays an indispensable role in stabilization and anchorage of thin filaments. In this study, the full-length cDNA sequence was isolated by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE).

[Association of porcine ATF4 gene polymorphism and production traits and analysis of gene expression].

In order to understand the function of gene ATF4 and identify new DNA markers involved in pig production traits, the cDNA fragment of porcine ATF4 was cloned and sequenced. Sequence comparison revealed an A159G substitution downstream of the initiation codon (ATG). We then carried out PCR-AluⅠ-RFLP analysis in Large white, Landrace, Tongcheng and Meishan pigs, followed by association analysis in F2 "Large white ×Meishan" resource family.

[Polymorphism in coding region of pig PRDX6 gene and its genetic effects analysis].

PRDX6, a member of antioxidant protein superfamily, plays an important role in oxidative stress, catabolism of lipids and phospholipid lipisomes. Therefore, we used PRDX6 as an important candidate gene for meat quality according to its physiological and biochemical function. Partial coding sequence of porcine PRDX6 was isolated and two potenial SNPs, one at 417 bp (C/T) and the other at 423 bp (A/G), were found in the fourth exon by comparison of the obtained sequence from different pig breeds.

Imprinting analysis of porcine MAGEL2 gene in two fetal stages and association analysis with carcass traits.

Imprinted genes play an essential role in the regulation of fetal growth, development and function of the placenta, however only a limited number of imprinted genes have been studied in swine. In this study, we cloned and characterized porcine MAGEL2 (melanoma antigen-like gene 2), and also identified its imprinting status during porcine fetal development. The complete open reading frame (ORF) encoding 1,193 amino acids was isolated and two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (g.

Identification of four SNPs and association analysis with meat quality traits in the porcine Pitx2c gene.

The association of the porcine Pitx2c gene with meat quality traits was investigated in the present study. A total of eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found. Allele frequencies of four SNPs were further detected in four commercial breeds and eight Chinese indigenous breeds.

Molecular characterization and expression patterns of Lbx1 in porcine skeletal muscle.

Ladybird-like genes were recently identified in mammals. The first member characterized, Lbx1, is expressed in developing skeletal muscle and the nervous system. However, little is known about the porcine Lbx1 gene.

Molecular characterization and association analysis of porcine adipose triglyceride lipase (PNPLA2) gene.

The adipose triglyceride lipase (PNPLA2, also known as ATGL) is a novel triacylglycerol (TG) lipase which specifically removes the first fatty acid from the triglyceride molecule generating free fatty acid and diglyceride (DG) in mammalian cells. Here we describe the molecular characterization of the porcine ATGL gene. The full-length cDNA sequence contains a 1,461 bp open reading frame encoding a protein of 486 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 53.

[Polymorphism in exon 2 of pig FIT1 gene and its association with fat-deposition-related traits].

In pig industry, fat deposition related traits such as back fat thickness and fat rate are of great economic importance. Thus, research on genes related with fat deposition can offer many useful values theoretically and practically. Gene FIT1 (Fat-inducing transcript 1) plays an important role in packaging lipid droplets.

Molecular characterization, expression profile and association analysis with carcass traits of porcine LCAT gene.

The lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase gene (LCAT) plays an important role in lipoprotein metabolism, especially in the process termed 'reverse cholesterol transport'. In this study, we obtained the 1,434 bp mRNA sequence of porcine LCAT including the full coding region and encoding a protein of 472 amino acids. The sequence was deposited into the GenBank under the accession no.

[Cloning and expression analysis of porcine ACTA2 gene and its association with production traits].

To identify new DNA markers which have significant impact on pig production traits, the full coding sequence and partial genomic sequence of porcine ACTA2(Actin alpha 2)gene were isolated using in silico cloning and PCR. PCR-Hinf-RFLP was developed to detect C1554T substitution in intron 2. The frequency of allele C is higher than that of allele T in all the seven detected pig populations except for Large White and MeishanxLarge White.

Molecular characterization, expression profile and association analysis with fat deposition traits of the porcine APOM gene.

Apolipoprotein M (APOM), a novel apolipoprotein presented mostly in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in plasma, is involved in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. Through comparative mapping, we have mapped this gene to SSC7 p1.1 in which many QTLs affecting fat deposition traits have been reported.

Knockdown of endogenous SKIP gene enhanced insulin-induced glycogen synthesis signaling in differentiating C2C12 myoblasts.

PI(3,4,5)P(3) produced by the activated PI3-kinase is a key lipid second messenger in cell signaling downstream of insulin. Skeletal muscle and kidney-enriched inositol phosphatase (SKIP) identified as a 5'-inositol phosphatase that hydrolyzes PI(3,4,5) P(3) to PI(3,4)P(2), negatively regulates the insulin-induced glycogen synthesis in skeletal muscle. However the mechanism by which this occurs remains unclear.

Characterization of the porcine differentially expressed PDK4 gene and association with meat quality.

To investigate the differential expression of genes in the skeletal muscle between Yorkshire and Chinese indigenous breed Meishan pigs, suppression subtractive hybridization was carried out and many genes were proved to be expressed significantly different in the two breeds. One gene highly expressed in Meishan but lowly expressed in Yorkshire specific library, shared strong homology with human pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4). Using semi-quantity and quantity PCR, We confirmed its differential expression between the two breeds.

Association of MYF5 and MYOD1 gene polymorphisms and meat quality traits in Large White x Meishan F2 pig populations.

MYF5 and MYOD1 belong to the myogenic regulatory factor (MRF) gene family. They code for the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors that play key regulatory roles in the initiation and development of skeletal muscle and the maintenance of its phenotype. In this work three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in porcine MYF5 and one in porcine MYOD1 were detected in three pig breeds (Large White, Landrace, and Meishan) by means of a PCR-RFLP protocol.

Using RNA interference to identify the different roles of SMAD2 and SMAD3 in NIH/3T3 fibroblast cells.

Smad proteins are principal intracellular signaling mediators of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) that regulate a wide range of biological processes. However, the identities of Smad partners mediating TGF-beta signaling are not fully understood. We firstly examined the expression of Smad2 and Smad3 induced by TGF-beta 1 in normal NIH/3T3 cells.

Quantitative trait loci for carcass traits on pig chromosomes 4, 6, 7, 8 and 13.

For 22 carcass traits, we identified 16 QTLs (based on data for pig resource population no. 214, including 180 F2 hybrids of 3 Yorkshire boars and 8 Meishan sows) and mapped them with the use of 39 microsatellite marker loci on chromosomes 4, 6, 7, 8 and 13. Five QTLs were highly significant (P < or = 0.

NNAT and DIRAS3 genes are paternally expressed in pigs.

Although expression and epigenetic differences of imprinted genes have been extensively characterised in man and the mouse, little is known on livestock species. In this study, the polymorphism-based approach was used to detect the imprinting status of NNAT and DIRAS3 genes in five heterozygous pigs (based on SNP) of Large White and Meishan F(1) hybrids. The results show that both genes were paternally expressed in all the tested tissues (heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, stomach, small intestine, skeletal muscle, fat, uterus, ovary and pituitary).

Imprinting analyses of the porcine GATM and PEG10 genes in placentas on days 75 and 90 of gestation.

Imprinted genes are expressed monoallelically depending on their parental origin, and escape the Mendel's laws of heredity. They play important roles in the mammalian development, growth, and behavior. Placenta is a key tissue for the normal development and growth of fetus.

Molecular cloning and functional analysis of MRLC2 differential expressed in MeishanxYorkshire F1 crossbreeds and their parents, Meishan pigs.

In order to detect the molecular basis of heterosis in pigs, suppression subtractive hybridization was carried out to investigate the difference in gene expression in the Longissimus dorsi muscle tissues between MeishanxYorkshire F1 crossbreeds and their parents, Meishan pigs. The swine myosin regulatory light chain 2 (MRLC2) gene differentially expressed between the crossbreeds and the purebreds was isolated and identified using semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and its complete cDNA sequence was obtained using the rapid amplification of cDNA ends method. The nucleotide sequence of the gene is not homologous to any of the known porcine genes.

Cloning and identification of porcine SMPX differentially expressed in F1 crossbreds and their parents.

In order to investigate porcine heterosis on the molecular basis, Large White (L), a European purebred, and Meishan (M), a Chinese indigenous purebred, were hybridized directly and reciprocally to produce F1 hybrids, Large WhitexMeishan (LM) and MeishanxLarge White (ML) pigs. Using mRNA differential display, we found an expression sequence tag (EST) differentially expressed in F1 hybrids and their parents, designated as EST55, which was homologous to human and murine skeletal muscle protein (SMPX), and the full-length cDNA of porcine SMPX was cloned by the rapid amplification of cDNA end (RACE) method. Translation of the mRNA transcript revealed an open reading frame (ORF) of 86 amino acid residues encoding a nuclear location signal peptide, two overlapping casein kinase II phosphorylation sites and one N-glycosylation site with theoretical molecular weight of 9.

Identification of a differentially expressed gene PPP1CB between porcine Longissimus dorsi of Meishan and Large WhitexMeishan hybrids.

To study the molecular basis of heterosis, suppression subtractive hybridization was used to investigate the differences in gene expression between porcine Longissimus dorsi of F1 hybrids Large WhitexMeishan and their female parents Meishan. From two specific subtractive cDNA libraries, the clones selected by reverse Northern high-density blot screening were chosen to clone full-length cDNA by rapid amplification of cDNA ends. An expression-upregulated gene for Meishan skeletal muscle, designated protein phosphatase 1, catalytic subunit, beta isoform (PPP1CB), was identified.

cDNA cloning, sequence analysis of the porcine LIM and cysteine-rich domain 1 gene.

LIM domain proteins are important regulators in cell growth, cell fate determination, cell differentiation and remodeling of the cell cytoskeleton by their interaction with various structural proteins, kinases and transcriptional regulators. Using molecular biology combined with in silico cloning, we have cloned the complete coding sequence of pig LIM and the cysteine-rich domain 1 gene (LMCD1) which encodes a 363 amino acid protein. The estimated molecular weight of the LMCD1 protein is 40,788 Da with a pI of 8.

[The microsatellite polymorphism research on porcine chromosome 1 and the construction of its genetic map].

As a molecular marker,microsatellite has many advantages such as high polymorphism and good conservativeness in animal genetic research. The study chose 8 microsatellite markers that evenly distributed on chromosome 1 with a distance about 20 cM to build the genetic map of porcine chromosome 1. The results of our experiment are as follows:the number of alleles for 8 markers is 2 to 5,their gene frequency is from 0.

[Effects of FUT1 gene on meat quality and carcass traits in swine].

A total of 139 hybrid finishing pigs from Large White x Meishan were slaughtered at about 88kg body weight. Fourteen meat quality traits and 8 carcass traits were assayed for each pig. FUT1 gene was scored by PCR-RFLP.