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Title: EXPRESSED POLYMORPHISMS OF PORCINE LEPTIN: EVIDENCE FOR MULTIPLE GENE COPIES

Author
item Matteri, Robert
item Carroll, Jeffery - Jeff Carroll
item VEUM, T - UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
item LAMBERSON, W - UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

Submitted to: Animal Science Progress Report
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/23/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The objective of this study was to characterize newly-discovered variants of leptin mRNA and to confirm their concurrent expression in individual pigs. Total RNA, extracted from fat tissue was used in reverse transcription reactions to produce cDNA. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to produce the cDNA corresponding to the leptin mRNA coding region. The amplified DNA was then cloned and sequenced. Three variant sequences (V1-3) were identified which could be identified by restriction enzyme digestion of PCR products. Fat tissue RNA from 24 individual young pigs was used to generate cDNAs for subsequent PCR amplification and restriction enzyme digestion. The results demonstrated that V3 mRNA is present in small amounts in fat tissue from all experimental animals. Thirteen animals expressed both V1 and V2 and 11 expressed V1, but not V2. The functional significance of the expression of V3, with a CAG codon (Glutamine) deletion, remains to be addressed. A mutation of T to C in V2 results in a TTG to CTG codon change, however both code for leucine. V2 expression varies considerably among individuals, creating the possibility for development of an RFLP for animal selection based on a gene with a known role in appetite control.