Neuroglobin mutation associated with hypoxia adaptation in Tibet chicken

Globin protein family plays an important role in storing and transporting oxygen. As a newly reported globin, the revealed function of neuroglobin includes binding and storing oxygen as well as facilitating the utilization of oxygen in neuronal cells. In the present study, mutations in exons of chicken Ngb gene were identified with the method of sequencing and created restriction site PCR in Tibet chicken and other four lowland chicken breeds. The mutations of Lys-2224(E4)-Asn and Ser-2279(E4)-Gly were identified in exon 4 of the gene. The Lys-2224(E4)-Asn mutation existed only in Tibet chicken and the mutation frequencies increased with increasing altitude. Analysis of the haplotype and diplotype of the two mutations in Tibet chicken populations of different altitudes showed that the frequencies of TG haplotype and TTGG diplotype also increased with increasing altitude, while the reverse tendency was found on GGAA diplotype. Under the hypoxic simulation incubation, the main haplotype was TG in living embryos and GA in dead embryos. The results showed that the Lys-2224(E4)-Asn mutation may be a specific mutation associated with hypoxia adaptation in Tibet chicken.