Ovocleidin (OC 116) Is Present in Avian Skeletal Tissues

• Published in: Poultry science 2008-08, Vol.87 (8), p.1618-1623
• Main Authors: Horvat-Gordon, M, Yu, F, Burns, D, Leach, R.M. Jr
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: animal proteins; Animals; Blotting, Western; bone matrix; bones; chickens; Chickens - genetics; Chickens - metabolism; chicks; chondrocytes; Chondrocytes - metabolism; chromosome mapping; Egg Proteins - biosynthesis; Egg Proteins - genetics; Egg Shell - metabolism; egg shell matrix; egg shell proteins; Female; genes; growth plate; Growth Plate - metabolism; hypertrophy; laying hens; multigene family; ovocleidin 116; phosphoproteins; reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary; RNA - chemistry; RNA - genetics
• ISSN: 0032-5791; 1525-3171
• DOI: 10.3382/ps.2008-00031

Ovocleidin (OC-116), a protein identified in eggshell matrix, was found to be expressed in avian growth plate chondrocytes. Because OC-116 has been reported to be a member of a family of related phosphoprotein genes clustered on avian chromosome 4, we expanded our search to other skeletal tissues. Using Western blotting, we found OC-116 in the matrix of chick cortical bone and laying hen medullary bone as well as in hypertrophic chondrocyte lysates. Furthermore, other members of this family (bone sialoprotein, dental matrix protein-1, and osteopontin) were also present in the eggshell matrix. Reverse transcription-PCR was used to confirm the presence of the OC-116 gene in bone tissues as well as the expression of bone sialoprotein and dental matrix protein-1 in uterine tissue. These results, in combination with those of other laboratories, show that this family of phosphoproteins is found in a wide variety of avian mineralized tissues.