Different phosphate transport in the duodenum and jejunum of chicken response to dietary phosphate adaptation

Intestinal phosphate (Pi) absorption across the apical membrane of small intestinal epithelial cells is mainly mediated by the type IIb Na-coupled phosphate co-transporter (NaPi-IIb), but its expression and regulation in the chicken remain unclear. In the present study, we investigated the mRNA and protein levels of NaPi-IIb in three regions of chicken small intestine, and related their expression levels to the rate of net phosphate absorption. Our results showed that maximal phosphate absorption occurs in the jejunum, however the highest expression levels of NaPi-IIb mRNA and protein occurs in the duodenum. In response to a low-Pi diet (TP 0.2%), there is an adaptive response restricted to the duodenum, with increased brush border membrane (BBM) Na-Pi transport activity and NaPi-IIb protein and mRNA abundance. However, when switched from a low- (TP 0.2%) to a normal diet (TP 0.6%) for 4 h, there is an increase in BBM NaPi-IIb protein abundance in the jejunum, but no changes in BBM NaPi-IIb mRNA. Therefore, our study indicates that Na-Pi transport activity and NaPi-IIb protein expression are differentially regulated in the duodenum vs the jejunum in the chicken.