The differential expression of hepatic genes between prelaying and laying geese.

Suppression subtractive hybridization was used to detect differential expression of genes in the livers of laying and prelaying geese. Liver tissues from prelaying and laying geese were dissected for mRNA extraction. The cDNA, reverse transcribed from liver mRNA of prelaying geese, was subtracted from the cDNA generated from the laying geese (forward subtraction). Five hundred seventy-six clones with possible differentially expressed gene fragments were observed by forward subtraction hybridization. After differential screening using the reverse and forward subtraction cDNA, 164 clones were subjected to gene sequence determination and further analysis. Using Northern analysis, 5 known and 8 unknown genes were shown to be highly expressed in the livers of laying geese compared with prelaying geese. Vitellogenin I, apoVLDL-II, ethanolamine kinase, G-protein gamma-5 subunit, and leucyl-tRNA synthase were highly expressed in the livers of laying geese compared with that from the prelaying geese (P<0.05). The expression of these known genes suggests that their function in the liver of laying geese is primarily involved in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. Several of these differentially expressed genes were found to be responsive to estrogen stimulation, confirming the involvement of these genes in the egg-laying function of the goose.