Development and evaluation of a simple and effective real time PCR assay for mitochondrial quantification in racing camels

- Developed a qPCR assay to delineate the endurance status of different utility camels based on the mitochondrial profile.
- The mitochondrial status can give valuable insights on the endurance performance, myopathic conditions and age of the camel.
- Though endurance camel racing is a popular sport, the scientific information on camel mitochondrial status is least explored.
- This report is the first attempt to study the camel energetics based on mitochondrial quantity.

Camel racing is a popular sport in the Middle East region, where the demand is high for racing camels with higher stamina and endurance. Devising a technique to measure oxidative capacity and endurance in camels should be useful. Mitochondria are highly specialized organelles involved in metabolism in all higher organisms for sustaining life and providing energy for physical functions. The ratio of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to nuclear DNA (nDNA) is often used as an estimate for the metabolic status of the tissue. A greater quantity of mitochondria per unit of tissue translates into greater oxidative capacity and endurance. In this report, we describe a simple, sensitive and efficient real-time PCR assay for the quantification of blood mitochondria in racing camels. The primer sequences selected for the SYBR green-based PCR assay included mitochondrial D-loop region, mitochondrial ATP6ase gene and the nuclear β-actin gene. The assay was validated using two groups of camels comprising racing and dairy camels. The racing camels demonstrated a higher mtDNA/nDNA ratio compared with dairy camels based on the ΔΔCt values, with a higher variability among racing camels. The mean ΔΔCt values of adult and young racing camels did not vary considerably. The findings show that the present assay can be used as an evaluative tool for racing camels.