Abstract

Efficient conversion of food into body mass has been associated with altered gene expression of some proteins of the electron transport chain. We evaluated the effect of age on the mRNA expression of Cytochrome oxidase III(COX III), avian adenine nucleotide translocator (avANT), avian PPAR-γ coactivator-1α (avPGC-1α), Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) and avian uncoupling protein (avUCP) in chicken. A total of 90 male birds each from Nandanam B2, Rhode Island Red, Aseel and White Leghorn, were divided into three replicates containing 30 birds each and used for the study. Production parameters consist of body weight, body weight gain, cumulative feed consumption and cumulative feed efficiency at fourth and eighth weeks of age were recorded. Total RNA was extracted from the breast muscle tissue of male birds and reverse transcribed into cDNA. Real-time PCR analysis was performed using specific primers for the genes. The greatest reduction was observed when comparing fourth and eighth week old birds in COX III, avANT mRNA expression levels were then followed by avPGC-1α and increased mRNA expression levels were observed in PPARγ followed by avUCP at eighth week of age. The study revealed phenotypic differences in production traits as well as the difference in expression of mitochondrial gene like COX III, avANT, avPGC-1α, PPARγ and avUCP expression level change with age in chickens.