title: Molecular cloning and tissue distribution of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in plateau pika (Ochotona dauurica).
abstract: Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) is present exclusively in brown adipose tissue, and contributes to body temperature control during cold exposure. We cloned UCP1 cDNA of plateau pika (Ochotona dauurica), a small, non-hibernating, diurnal lagomorph that inhabits in relatively cold climates and at high altitudes in Mongolia and in northern China. The nucleotide sequence of pika UCP1 was highly homologous to UCP1 of other species, and the deduced amino acid sequence had some common domains for UCP, including six mitochondrial carrier protein motifs and a putative purine-nucleotide binding site. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses revealed that both UCP1 mRNA and protein were expressed exclusively in the interscapular adipose tissue. These results suggest that pika UCP1 contributes to heat production in brown adipose tissue, as do those in other species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kitao
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yahata
authors.forename: Takaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okamatsu-Ogura
authors.forename: Asako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Omachi
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000235:genetics*; D007793:Lagomorpha / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1