Molecular cloning, sequence characterization, and tissue expression analysis of chicken sphingomyelin synthase 1 (SMS1)

Sphingomyelin synthase 1 (SMS1) is an important cytoplasmic protein which may have functions that go beyond housekeeping function of sphingomyelin (SM) synthesis. In this study, a Hi-Line Brown chicken SMS1 gene was cloned, sequenced, and characterized. The SMS1 full-length coding sequence (CDS) consisted of 1242 nt and encoded 413 amino acids with a molecular weight of 48.54 kDa. The N-terminal sterile alpha motif (SAM) was well conserved between chicken and other animals. The 3D structure of the SMS1 (1-78AA) by homology modeling was similar to that of mouse phosphatidyl ceramide cholinephosphotransferase 1 (2d8c Chain: A (1-97)). The phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that chicken SMS1 had closer genetic relationship with that of land mammals. RT-PCR analysis showed that the SMS1 transcripts were constitutively expressed in 11 tissues tested. Several microRNA target sites were predicted in the CDS of chicken SMS1 mRNA. These data serve as a foundation for further insight into the chicken SMS1 gene.