Identification of two paralogous caprine CD36 genes that display highly divergent mRNA expression profiles

• Published in: Comparative immunology, microbiology and infectious diseases microbiology and infectious diseases, 2013-01, Vol.36 (1), p.1-7
• Main Authors: Zidi, A, Castelló, A, Jordana, J, Carrizosa, J, Urrutia, B, Serradilla, J.M, Amills, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipose tissue; Alleles; Allergy and Immunology; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; CD36 Antigens - chemistry; CD36 Antigens - genetics; CD36 Antigens - metabolism; CD36 gene; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene duplication; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Frequency; Genetic Loci; Genome; Genotype; Goat; Goats - genetics; Goats - metabolism; Infectious Disease; Microbiology; Milk - cytology; Phylogeny; Polymorphism, Genetic; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Ruminantia
• ISSN: 0147-9571; 1878-1667
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2012.08.003

Abstract The CD36 molecule plays a pivotal role in a variety of immunological and cellular processes, including pathogen recognition, inflammation and apoptosis. Herein, we demonstrate that this gene is duplicated in goats, with two copies ( CD36 and CD36-like ) that display highly divergent mRNA expression profiles. In this way, CD36 mRNA is mostly expressed in the adipose tissue and heart whilst CD36-like mRNA shows a high expression in the liver. We have also found evidence of the presence of two paralogous CD36 and CD36-like genes in the bovine genome, suggesting that CD36 duplication took place before goat–cattle radiation, i.e. at least 20 MYR ago. Finally, we have characterized the polymorphism of the coding regions of the goat CD36 and CD36-like genes. In doing so, we have identified one synonymous polymorphism at the CD36-like gene (c.390A>C) that displays a significant association ( P = 0.04) with milk somatic cell count, a parameter often used to diagnose mastitis in domestic ruminants.