Cloning and homologous analysis of coding region of alpha-globin gene from Tibetan antelope]

To clone and analyze the encoding region of alpha-globin gene from Tibetan antelope.Total RNA was isolated from an adolescent Tibetan antelope liver, and Tibetan antelope alpha-globin gene was amplified by RT-PCR. The PCR product was cloned into pGEM-T vector and sequenced. Nucleotide sequences were compared with GenBank data by Blast method.The encoding region of alpha-globin gene of Tibetan antelope was obtained and deposited in GenBank as accession number DQ650713. Compared with sheep alpha-chain, alterations in important regions could be noted: a132 Asn-->Ser, a134 Ser-->Gly; but 19 differences were detected when compared with that of human. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the encoding region of alpha-globin gene of Tibetan antelope was most likely close to that of sheep and goat.The encoding region of gene Tibetan antelope alpha-globin gene is successfully cloned, which provides basic information for elucidating the possible role of hemoglobin in high altitude adaptation of Tibetan antelope.