Cloning, phylogenetic analysis, tissue expression profiling, and functional roles of NPC1L1 in chickens, quails, and ducks

• DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2025.105032
• Publication Date: 2025-03-15T23:22:11Z
• Authors: Xin Shu; Ziwei Chen; Hui Wang; Bingjie Xu; Li Liu; Jilong Zhang; Xiaotong Zheng; Jianfei Chen
• Keywords: Cloning (programming); Phylogenetic relationship

The Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1 (NPC1L1) protein, primarily expressed in the epithelial cells of small intestine, is essential for cholesterol absorption from both dietary intake and biliary secretion. Despite this conserved function across mammals, full-length coding sequence NPC1L1 remains uncharacterized key avian models including chicken (Gallus gallus), quail (Coturnix japonica), duck (Anas platyrhynchos). In study, we successfully cloned full mRNA chicken, quail, duck, entire 5' 3' untranslated regions, utilizing rapid amplification cDNA ends methods. Phylogenetic analysis 12 species, comprising four eight representative mammalian revealed that sequences main poultry species exhibit a high degree similarity. phylogenetic divergence their counterparts, protein alignment cholesterol-sensing peptides are all examined study. These findings imply may also play role transport. Analysis tissue gene expression profiles chickens, quails, ducks indicated predominantly duodenum, jejunum, liver. Additionally, experiments on medium-to-cell transit primary intestinal confirmed capable efficiently transporting into cells. Further required to elucidate biological NPC1L1. summary, study ducks, conducted comprehensive evolutionary history patterns. This research establishes foundation future investigations