瘦素受体表达量在苏钟猪脂肪沉积调控中的作用

瘦素受体（leptin receptor,LEPR）在机体的体质量平衡、造血、生殖、血管生成和免疫过程中发挥着重要作用。为进一步了解LEPR基因在苏钟猪脂肪沉积调控中的作用机制,本研究利用Real-time PCR方法和Western-blot方法分析该基因在12头苏钟猪中5个脂肪易沉积组织（心脏、肝脏、肾脏、背膘和眼肌）RNA和蛋白水平的表达谱信息。结果表明：LEPR的mRNA在这5种组织中均有表达,其在各组织中的mRNA表达丰度表现为：背膘〉眼肌〉心脏〉肝脏〉肾脏,其中在背膘的表达量极显著高于其他几种组织（P〈0.01）;LEPR蛋白在这5种组织中也均有表达,其中在心脏中的表达量最高,显著高于其他组织（P〈0.01）,且在公猪组织的表达量显著高于母猪组织（P〈0.05）;另外,LEPR第18外显子在苏钟猪群中检测到3个高突变率的SNPs。LEPR对苏钟猪的背膘、肌肉、心脏、肾脏、肝脏等组织的脂肪沉积有重要影响,是苏钟猪肉质改良育种中潜在的重要候选基因。

Function of leptin receptor expression in the regulation of fat deposition in Suzhong pigs

Leptin receptor（LEPR） plays an important role in body weight homeostasis, hematopoiesis, reproduction, angiogenesis,and immune processes. In order to examine LEPR function on fat deposition in Suzhong pigs, mRNA and protein expression of LEPR was carried out in five fat deposition tissues （heart, liver, kidney, backfat and eyemuscle） of twelve Suzhong sows by Real-time PCR and Western-blot. The results showed that LEPR mRNA was expressed in all five tissues,mRNA intensity in different tissues tended to be backfat〉eye-muscle〉heart〉liver kidney,and LEPR expression in backfat was significantly higher than that of any other tissue（P〈0.01）. Further- more,LEPR protein was also expressed in all five tissues, expression in heart was significantly higher than that of any other tissue（P〈0. 05） ,and expression in boars was significantly higher than that of sows（P〈0.05）. Further- more,three SNPs were detected in Exon 18 of LEPR in Suzhong pigs. These findings suggest that the LEPR might play an important role in regulating the swine fat deposition, and it could be a significant candidate gene for improving pork quality in Suzhong pigs.