Molecular cloning, sequence characterization, and tissue expression analysis of Hi-Line Brown chicken Akirin2.

Akirins are novel important nuclear proteins able to modulate transcriptional activities in a gene-specific manner. Akirin2 is an important gene related to immune responses, it is necessary to isolate the akirin2 gene from chicken because it may be associated with vaccine and enhancement of immune response. In this study, a Hi-Line Brown chicken homolog of the vertebrate akirin2 gene was cloned, sequenced, and characterized. The akirin2 full-length coding sequence (CDS) consisted of 576nt and encoded 191 amino acids with a molecular weight of 21.58 kD. The COOH-terminal alpha-helix region was well conserved between chicken and other animals. RT-PCR analysis showed that the akirin2 transcripts were constitutively expressed in 16 tissues tested. Several microRNA target sites were predicted in the CDS of chicken akirin2 gene. We presume that Akirin2 protein may be used as a new-type immunopotentiator in poultry immune system in the future.