Transcriptional Characterization of Porcine Leptin and Leptin Receptor Genes
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Author
Pérez-Montarelo, Dafne
Fernández, Almudena
Barragán, Carmen
Folch, Josep M.
Rodríguez, M. Carmen
Óvilo, Cristina
Silió, Luis
Fernández, Ana I.
Publication date
2013-06-18ISSN
1932-6203
Abstract
The leptin (LEP) and its receptor (LEPR) regulate food intake and energy balance through hypothalamic signaling. However, the LEP-LEPR axis seems to be more complex and its expression regulation has not been well described. In pigs, LEP and LEPR genes have been widely studied due to their relevance. Previous studies reported significant effects of SNPs located in both genes on growth and fatness traits. The aim of this study was to determine the expression profiles of LEP and LEPR across hypothalamic, adipose, hepatic and muscle tissues in Iberian x Landrace backcrossed pigs and to analyze the effects
of gene variants on transcript abundance. To our knowledge, non porcine LEPR isoforms have been described rather than LEPRb. A short porcine LEPR isoform (LEPRa), that encodes a protein lacking the intracellular residues responsible of signal transduction, has been identified for the first time. The LEPRb isoform was only quantifiable in hypothalamus while LEPRa appeared widely expressed across tissues, but at higher levels in liver, suggesting that both isoforms would develop different roles. The unique LEP transcript showed expression in backfat and muscle. The effects of gene variants on transcript expression revealed interesting results. The LEPRc.1987C.T polymorphism showed opposite effects on LEPRb and LEPRa hypothalamic expression. In addition, one out of the 16 polymorphisms identified in the LEPR promoter region revealed high differential expression in hepatic LEPRa. These results suggest a LEPR isoform-specific regulation at tissue level. Conversely, non-differential expression of LEP conditional on the analyzed polymorphisms could be detected, indicating that its regulation is likely affected by other mechanisms rather than gene sequence variants. The present study has allowed a transcriptional characterization of LEP and LEPR isoforms on a range of tissues. Their expression patterns seem to indicate that both molecules develop peripheral roles apart from their known hypothalamic signal transduction function.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Published version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
575 - General genetics. General cytogenetics
Pages
11
Publisher
Public Library of Science
Is part of
PLoS ONE
Citation
Pérez-Montarelo, Dafne, Almudena Fernández, Carmen Barragán, Jose L. Noguera, Josep M. Folch, M. Carmen Rodríguez, Cristina Óvilo, Luis Silió, and Ana I. Fernández. 2013. "Transcriptional Characterization Of Porcine Leptin And Leptin Receptor Genes". Plos ONE 8 (6): e66398. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066398.
Grant agreement number
MICINN/Programa Nacional de Proyectos de Investigación Fundamental/AGL2008-04818-C03/ES/GENES CANDIDATOS E IDENTIFICACION GENOMICA DE LOCI Y RUTAS GENETICAS QUE AFECTAN A LA CALIDAD DE LA CARNE EN CERDOS/GAN
MICINN/Programa Nacional de Proyectos de Investigación Fundamental/AGL2011-29821-C02-02/ES/APLICACION DE METODOS DE SECUENCIACION PARALELA MASIVA Y GENOMICA AL ESTUDIO DE VARIANTES GENICAS QUE REGULAN: CRECIMIENTO, CONFORMACION Y CALIDAD DE CARNE EN CERDO.SUBPROYECTO2/
Program
Genètica i Millora Animal
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- ARTICLES CIENTÍFICS [2555]
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/