Research paperMolecular cloning, sequence characteristics, and tissue expression analysis of ECE1 gene in Tibetan pig

•The full-length cDNA sequence of Tibetan pig ECE1 was cloned, sequenced and characterized.•The phylogenetic tree was constructed from the deduced Tibetan pig ECE1 and the ECE1 sequences from other mammals.•Our research further confirmed ECE1 as a candidate gene for anti-hypoxia.

Low air pressure and low oxygen partial pressure at high altitude seriously affect the survival and development of human beings and animals. ECE1 is a recently discovered gene that is involved in anti-hypoxia, but the full-length cDNA sequence has not been obtained. For a better understanding of the structure and function of the ECE1 gene and to study its effect in Tibetan pig, the cDNA of the ECE1 gene from the muscle of Tibetan pig was cloned, sequenced and characterized. The ECE1 full-length cDNA sequence consists of 2262 bp coding sequence (CDS) that encodes 753 amino acids with a molecular mass of 85,449 kD, 2 bp 5′UTR and 1507 bp 3′UTR. In addition, the phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that the Tibetan pig ECE1 has a closer genetic relationship and evolution distance with the land mammals ECE1. Furthermore, analysis by qPCR showed that the ECE1 transcript is constitutively expressed in the 10 tissues tested: the liver, subcutaneous fat, kidney, muscle, stomach, heart, brain, spleen, pancreas, and lung. These results serve as a foundation for further insight into the Tibetan pig ECE1 gene.