DNA methylation of the <i>PLIN1</i> promoter downregulates expression in chicken lines

• Main Authors: Y. Sun, R. Li, G. Zhai, X. Zhang, Y. Wang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2019-07-01
• Series: Archives Animal Breeding
• Online Access: https://www.arch-anim-breed.net/62/375/2019/aab-62-375-2019.pdf
• ISSN: 0003-9438; 2363-9822

<p>Evidence suggests that Perilipin-1 (<i>PLIN1</i>) is subject to functional regulation by epigenetic modifications in women with obesity. However, whether chicken <i>PLIN1</i> expression is regulated by DNA methylation is unknown. Here, Sequenom MassARRAY and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were conducted to analyze the promoter methylation status and expression of the <i>PLIN1</i> gene in Northeast Agricultural University broiler lines divergently selected for abdominal fat content. We found that chicken <i>PLIN1</i> expression was significantly higher in adipose tissue of fat-line broilers than in lean lines at 1–7 weeks of age, and was significantly positively correlated with abdominal fat percentage (AFP) in chicken adipose development (Pearson's <span class="inline-formula"><i>r</i>=0.627</span>, <span class="inline-formula"><i>P</i>&lt;0.001</span>). The region analyzed for DNA methylation was from <span class="inline-formula">−12</span> to <span class="inline-formula">−520</span>&thinsp;bp upstream of the translation start codon ATG, and had five CpG sites, where only the DNA methylation levels of CpG5 located at position <span class="inline-formula">−490</span>&thinsp;bp were significantly higher in lean compared to fat chickens at 5 and 6 weeks (<span class="inline-formula"><i>P</i>&lt;0.05</span>) and were significantly negatively correlated with <i>PLIN1</i> mRNA levels and AFP (<span class="inline-formula"><i>P</i>&lt;0.05</span>). These results shed new light on the regulation of hypertrophic growth in chicken adipose development.</p>