title: Characterization of the expression profiles of calpastatin (CAST) gene in chicken.
abstract: The calpain system, a Ca(2+)-activated protease family, plays an important role in postmortem tenderization of skeletal muscle due to its involvement in the degradation of important myofibrillar and associated proteins, as well as in cytoskeletal remodeling and regulation of muscle growth. In this study, we quantified the expression of calpastatin (CAST) in two Chinese chicken breeds (mountainous black-bone chicken breed (MB) and a commercial meat type chicken breed (S01)), to discern the tissue and age-related specific expression pattern and its potential role on muscle tissue metabolism. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assay was developed for accurate measurement of CAST mRNA levels in various tissues from chicken with different ages (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 week). CAST mRNA was detected in collected organs. The heart and leg muscle tissues had the highest expression of CAST than other tissues from the same chicken (P < 0.01). Age-related expression pattern of CAST gene was evident in breast muscle, liver, and brain tissues (P < 0.05), but not in heart and leg muscle tissues (P > 0.05). Overall, the CAST mRNA level exhibited a "rise-decline-rise-decline" developmental change in breast muscle and liver, with the highest expression at 2 weeks and the lowest expression at 8 weeks. The S01 chicken had significantly higher expression of CAST in breast muscle and heart than the MB chicken (P < 0.05) at 10 weeks. Our results suggested the CAST expression may be related to muscle fiber development.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agriculture University, 46# Xinkang Road, Ya'an, 625014 Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Zeng-Rong
authors.initials: ZR
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiao-Song
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Hua-Rui
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xiao-Cheng
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chao-Wu
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yi-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C033668:calpastatin