Cloning and tissue expression characterization of the chicken APOB gene

Apolipoprotein B ( APOB) serves an essential role in the assembly and secretion of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and lipids transport. This study was designed to clone the full- length cDNA of the chicken APOB gene, to characterize the expression profile, and investigate the differential expression between layer and broiler of the chicken APOB gene. The full- length cDNA sequence ( 14,150- bp) that contained a 13,896- bp ORF encoding 4,631 amino acids was obtained by RT- PCR, RACE, and bioinformatics analysis. qReal- Time PCR analysis showed that the chicken APOB gene was highly expressed in kidney, liver, and intestine. The results of differential expression showed that the APOB gene was more highly expressed in intestine and kidney in Bai'er layer than in broiler, but there was no significant difference in liver between the two breeds. The results of this study provided basic molecular information for studying the role of APOB in the energy transportation in avian species.