Cloning and Characterization of Porcine TSARG7 Gene and Analysis of Its Tissue-Specific Expression

TSARG7 is a novel member of the acyltransferase family since its sequence possesses the highly conserved phosphate acyltransferase (PlsC) domain existing in all acyltransferase-like proteins. The porcine TSARG7 had been identified by cloning in silico but had not been confirmed experimentally. The full-length mRNA of porcine TSARG7 gene was sequenced and two splice variants were discovered. The full-length cDNA of TSARG7 variant 1 was 2 513 bp and variant 2 was 2 634 bp. The putative porcine TSARG7 proteins, which were located in the cytoplasm, encoded 458 and 456 amino acids, respectively. Real-time PCR analysis showed that TSARG7 gene was expressed in various tissues, but at different levels. The expression levels of this gene were higher in the skeletal muscle, heart, and testis than that in other tissues, suggesting that the TSARG7 gene played a role in procine skeletal muscle, heart, and testis functions.