Mapping and genotypic analysis of the NK-lysin gene in chicken. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial peptides (AMP) are important elements of the first line of defence against pathogens in animals. NK-lysin is a cationic AMP that plays a critical role in innate immunity. The chicken NK-lysin gene has been cloned and its antimicrobial and anticancer activity has been described but its location in the chicken genome remains unknown. Here, we mapped the NK-lysin gene and examined the distribution of a functionally significant single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) among different chicken inbred lines and heritage breeds. RESULTS: A 6000rad radiation hybrid panel (ChickRH6) was used to map the NK-lysin gene to the distal end of chromosome 22. Two additional genes, the adipocyte enhancer-binding protein 1-like gene (AEBP1) and the DNA polymerase delta subunit 2-like (POLD2) gene, are located in the same NW_003779909 contig as NK-lysin, and were thus indirectly mapped to chromosome 22 as well. Previously, we reported a functionally significant SNP at position 271 of the NK-lysin coding sequence in two different chicken breeds. Here, we examined this SNP and found that the A allele appears to be more common than the G allele in these heritage breeds and inbred lines. CONCLUSIONS: The chicken NK-lysin gene mapped to the distal end of chromosome 22. Two additional genes, AEBP1 and POLD2, were indirectly mapped to chromosome 22 also. SNP analyses revealed that the A allele, which encodes a peptide with a higher antimicrobial activity, is more common than the G allele in our tested inbred lines and heritage breeds.

published proceedings

  • Genet Sel Evol

altmetric score

  • 0.25

author list (cited authors)

  • Lee, M. O., Yang, E., Morisson, M., Vignal, A., Huang, Y., Cheng, H. H., ... Womack, J. E.

citation count

  • 3

complete list of authors

  • Lee, Mi Ok||Yang, Ence||Morisson, Mireille||Vignal, Alain||Huang, Yong-Zhen||Cheng, Hans H||Muir, William M||Lamont, Susan J||Lillehoj, Hyun Soon||Lee, Sung Hyen||Womack, James E

publication date

  • July 2014