[Function of inducible nitric oxide synthase on adaptability to hypoxia in Tibetan chicken]

The inducible nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS) can be induced by hypoxia to produce NO, which regulates blood flow and improves oxygen delivery to tissues. In present study, SNPs in coding and 5'-flanking regions of iNOS gene were examined in Tibetan chicken and lowland chicken using sequence and PCR-RFLP methods, and the quantitive express of mRNA of iNOS and the enzyme activity were measured in chorioallantoic membrane of chick embryo that was incubated under hypoxic and normal conditions. The results showed that a special SNP (-870C-->T)was found in 5'-flanking region of iNOS gene. Tibetan chicken has higher frequencies in mutation allele T than lowland chicken. In hypoxic incubation, the mRNA expression of iNOS and enzyme activity were higher in Tibetan chicken than that in Dwarf chicken. It was concluded that the mutation of iNOS and hypoxic increase of its expression were important base for adaptability to hypoxia in Tibetan chicken.