Identification of disaccharidase and SGLT1 gene expression in the passerine bird, house sparrow (Passer domesticus)

GATICA SOSA CP, FUNES SC, CHEDIACK JG, CAVIEDES-VIDAL E.

Mendoza

Congreso; XXVI Reunión Anual de la Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo; 2008

Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo

Sugar breakdown and absorption by intestinal membrane bound proteins are important steps for energy acquisition in animals. An important molecular tool to examine the expression and regulation of the genes is to have primers to determine their mRNAs. No sequences of these genes are available for passerine birds. Thus the aim of this study was to develop specific primer for sucrase-isomaltasa (SI), maltase-glucoamylase (MG) and the brush-border Na/glucose cotransporter (SGLT1). We excised mid-small intes- tines and prepared homogenates to extract total RNA from house sparrows captured in San Luis. To achieve ou goal, we designed primer pairs using the predicted sequences of SI, MG and SGLT1genes for chicken. Then, we performed a reverse transcription re- action and a PCR with the designed primers. An electrophoresis was run to identifi the amplified fragments. The fragments matched the expected length (SI: 103bp, MG:  153bp, SGLT1: 130bp). PCR products were also cloned with a TOPO TA cloning system (Invitrogen) and products were sequenced. In conclusion, we developed specific primers and identified the partial sequences of SI, MG and SGLT1 for house sparrows to be used as tools for farther studies in avian digestive physiology.