Molecular Cloning and Tissue-specific Expression of the Heart-type Fatty Acid-Binding Protein (H-FABP)

In order to understand the structure and function of H-FABP gene, reveal the effect on the heart-type fatty acid-binding protein in goat, the cDNA of H-FABP gene was cloned and sequenced from heart of Tianfu goat (an emerging breed) by T-A clone techniques. The structure and function of H-FABP were analyzed by bioinformatics, and the gene expression profile in different tissues was examined by real-time PCR. The results showed that the full sequence of H-FABP cDNA is 650 bp, containing 402 bp coding region (CDS) encoding 133 amino acids. The isoelectric point (pI) of the protein is 6.11, and the molecular weight is 14.7 kDa. There were eight phosphorylational sites in this protein. The secondary structure of the protein was mainly a-helix, random coil and extended strand structure. The deduced amino acid sequence of H-FABP shared significant identity with the H-FABP from other mammals. The phylogenic tree based on H-FABP protein sequence was detected the closest relationship to cattle. A predicted 3D model was constructed by homology modeling. H-FABP mRNA is a broad-spectrum expression gene, which was detected in heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, longissimus muscle and leg muscle. In particular, high expression levels of H-FABP mRNA were detected in heart, longissimus muscle and leg muscle, but low expressions were observed in liver tissue.