Expression patterns and subcellular localization of porcine (Sus Scrofa) lectin, galactose-binding, soluble 1 gene.

Lectin, galactose-binding, soluble 1 (LGALS1) gene encodes galectin-1, an atypical secretory protein that plays an important role during myoblast proliferation and differentiation. In this study, the porcine LGALS1 gene was cloned and characterized from pig muscle. The predicted protein sequence shared a high identity with its mammalian counterparts. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed that porcine LGALS1 was expressed at 33 day post-coitus (dpc) and 65 dpc at a relatively high level, and then decreased to 90 dpc during fetal skeletal muscle development, suggesting that galectin-1 is a potent factor implicated in the formation of myofibers. LGALS1 was found widely expressed in all tissues and transient transfection indicated that galectin-1 locates both in cytoplasm and nucleus. Genomic sequences and analysis predicted a promoter region at approximately 1.279-1.529 kb, but dual-luciferase reporter assay indicated that it has little promoter activity.