title: First evidence of uncoupling protein-2 (UCP-2) and -3 (UCP-3) gene expression in piglet skeletal muscle and adipose tissue.
abstract: Uncoupling proteins (UCPs) facilitate proton transport inside the mitochondria and decrease the proton gradient, leading to heat production. Until now, the presence of UCP1 or other UCP homologs had not been detected in tissues of pig, a species where evidence for the presence of brown adipose tissue has only been provided in 2-3 month old animals. In the light of the improving knowledge on the UCPs family, we decided to examine both UCP2 and UCP3 mRNA expression in piglet skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Using RT-PCR we have successfully cloned a partial UCP2 sequence and a complete UCP3 cDNA. UCP3's open reading frame (936bp) shares 90, 89 and 85% similarity with bovine, human and rat UCP3 nucleotide sequences, respectively. In 3-5 day old piglets, these genes are expressed in adipose tissue and in both longissimus thoracis (LT) and rhomboïdeus (RH) muscles, without any effect of muscle metabolic type. This is in good agreement with the measurement of the same membrane potential in mitochondria isolated from both types of muscles. In triiodothyronine-treated piglets, UCP3 mRNA is more expressed in LT than in RH muscle. These genes may be involved in the control of the energy metabolism of the piglet.
authors.affiliation: INRA, Station de Recherches Porcines, 35590, Saint-Gilles, France. damon@st-gilles.rennes.inra.fr
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Damon
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Herpin
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015870:Gene Expression; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D007473:Ion Channels; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013552:Swine; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000071246:Uncoupling Protein 2; D000071247:Uncoupling Protein 3
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D007473:Ion Channels; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C000604389:UCP2 protein, human; C000604392:UCP3 protein, human; C000604391:Ucp2 protein, rat; C000604394:Ucp3 protein, rat; D000071246:Uncoupling Protein 2; D000071247:Uncoupling Protein 3; D014284:Triiodothyronine