Molecular cloning and mRNA expression analysis of antizyme inhibitor 1 in the ovarian follicles of the Sichuan white goose.

Antizyme inhibitor 1 (Azin1) plays critical roles in various cellular pathways, including ornithine decarboxylase regulation, polyamine anabolism and uptake and cell proliferation. However, the molecular characteristics of the AZIN1 gene and its expression profile in goose tissues and ovarian follicles have not been reported. In this study, the AZIN1 cDNA of the Sichuan white goose (Anser cygnoides) was cloned, and analyzed for its phylogenetic and physiochemical properties. The expression profile of AZIN1 mRNA in geese tissues and ovarian follicles were examined using quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed that the open reading frame of the AZIN1 cDNA is 1,353 bp in length, encoding a 450 amino acid protein with a molecular weight of 50 kDa. Out of all tissues examined, AZIN1 expression was highest in the adrenal gland and lowest in breast muscle. There was also a high expression of AZIN1 in the cerebellum and isthmus of oviduct. With follicular development, AZIN1 gene expression gradually increased, and its expression in F1 was significantly higher than in F5 (P<0.05). AZIN1 expression was also significantly higher in the POF1 than in the other follicles (P<0.05), and there was a low mRNA expression of AZIN1 in atretic follicles. The results of AZIN1 expression profiling in ovarian follicles suggest that AZIN1 may play an important role in the progression of follicular development, potentially through regulating polyamine levels.