The effect of early posthatch starvation on calpain mRNA levels

• Published in: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Vol. 133; no. 2; pp. 221 - 226
• Main Authors: Mozdziak, P.E, Dibner, J.J, McCoy, D.W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Inc 01.10.2002
• Subjects: Age Factors; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Avian; Blotting, Northern; Calpain - genetics; Chicken; Chickens; Down-Regulation; Food Deprivation; Male; Muscle; Muscle, Skeletal - chemistry; Muscle, Skeletal - metabolism; Myofiber; Myofibril; Pectoralis thoracicus; Protease; RNA, Messenger - analysis; Starvation - genetics; Yolk; Myofibril; Protease; Chicken; Muscle; Avian; Myofiber; Pectoralis thoracicus; Yolk
• DOI: 10.1016/S1096-4959(02)00131-8
• ISSN: 1096-4959

The calpain system is a family of calcium activated proteases that degrade myofibrillar protein. Male broiler chickens (Ross) were provided a standard starter diet top-dressed with Oasis ® nutritional supplement (fed; Novus International, St. Louis, MO, USA), or they were not provided any feed (starved) for the first 3 days posthatch. Subsequently, the standard starter diet was provided to all chickens between 3 and 7 days posthatch. RNA was extracted from the Pectoralis thoracicus, and skeletal muscle-specific n-calpain-1 (p94) calpain, μ-calpain, and m-calpain expression was evaluated using quantitative Northern analysis. Early posthatch starvation did not ( P>0.05) affect calpain mRNA levels on each day examined. Similarly, there were no ( P>0.05) changes in μ-calpain or m-calpain mRNA levels between 0 and 7 days posthatch in fed birds. However, p94 calpain mRNA levels were significantly ( P<0.05) lower at 7 days posthatch compared to 0 or 2 days posthatch. Therefore, in the early posthatch chicken, it appears that the calpain system may not be affected by the presence of oral nutrition, and that there is an age-related downregulation of p94 calpain mRNA expression.