Allelic variants of the galanin gene in Wistar rats

作者：Lioudyno V I^*; Aksenova T S; Abdurasulova I N; Klimenko V M

来源：Neurochemical Journal, 2014, 8(1): 11-16.

DOI：10.1134/S1819712414010103

• neuropeptides
• galanin
• alleles
• nucleotide polymorphism
• gene expression

We analyzed nucleotide modifications in the galanin promoter of Wistar rats, which are a favorable experimental model for medical and biological investigations. Here, we have proven that there are two allelic variants of the galanin gene that differ in triple nucleotide substitutions (ACT and GTG alleles). The analysis of the transcriptional activity of the promoter revealed a decreased level of the induced expression of galanin in the GTG homozygote. The frequency of the GTG allelic variant was 0.57 and the percentage of homozygote carriers of this variant of the gene in the population of Wistar rats was about 28%. Taking the high plasticity of galanin expression in response to trauma, ischemia, inflammation, and stress into account, as well as the protective role of this neuropeptide under these conditions, the animals that belong to different genotypes may be regarded as a natural experimental model to study the contribution of an increased/decreased galanin level to the mechanisms of individual resistance to threats.

• 出版日期2014-1