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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #158196
Title: MELEAGRIS GALLOPAVO GHRELIN GENE, COMPLETE CDS

Author
item Richards, Mark
item Poch, Stephen

Submitted to: Genbank
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/9/2003
Publication Date: 1/14/2004
Citation: Richards, M.P., Poch, S.M. 2004. Meleagris gallopavo ghrelin gene, complete CDS [abstract]. GenBank. Accession No. AY497549.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Ghrelin is a hormone produced by the proventriculus or stomach in birds that is thought to play a role in the regulation of appetite and energy balance in poultry. In order to study the role of ghrelin, it is necessary to understand the structure of the gene that encodes this protein. The objective of this work was to identify and sequence the ghrelin gene in the domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). Therefore, a portion of the ghrelin gene was isolated, sequenced and characterized from turkey genomic DNA using a primer-directed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) molecular cloning strategy. Direct bidirectional sequencing of overlapping PCR-generated DNA fragments identified and confirmed a total of 2615 contiguous bases corresponding to the portion of the ghrelin gene that included the complete coding region, and the 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions of the corresponding mRNA transcript. The turkey ghrelin gene, like the chicken and various mammalian species, was found to consist of 5 exons and 4 introns. This sequence data will be useful in studying the structure, expression and function of the avian ghrelin gene, and in determining the role of ghrelin in the regulation of appetite and energy balance in commercial poultry species.