Molecular cloning and characterization of two genes - PHKG2 and IRAK4 from black-boned sheep (Ovis aries)

Abstract

The complete coding sequences of two sheep genes-PHKG2 and IRAK4 were amplified using the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method based on three sheep expressed sequence tags whose translated amino acids contain the mitochondrial carrier domain. The sequence analyses of these two genes revealed that the sheep PHKG2 gene encodes a protein of 406 amino acids which has high homology with the phosphorylase kinase, gamma 2 protein of five species: Cattle (99%), human (96%), mouse (92%), rat (91%) and chicken (63%). The sheep IRAK4 gene encodes a protein of 456 amino acids which has high homology with the interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 protein of six species: Cattle (94%), pig (88%), human (87%), mouse (79%), rat (79%) and chicken (54%). The tissue transcription profile analyses indicated that the Black-boned sheep PHKG2 and IRAK4 genes are generally but differentially expressed in the detected tissues including spleen, muscle, skin, kidney, lung, liver, heart, fat and small intestine. These data serve as a foundation for further insight into these two genes.

Key words: Black-boned sheep, PHKG2 and IRAK4, tissue transcription profile.