Distribution of importin-α isoforms in poultry species and their tissue- and age-related differences

While importin-α is well studied in mammals, the knowledge in avian species is still limited. In this study, we compared the mRNA expression patterns of five importin-α isoforms in the respiratory tract, liver, and spleen of chickens, turkeys, and pekin ducks in two different age-groups. In addition, we determined the distribution of importin-α in selected tissue of conchae, trachea, and lung of post-hatch chickens at all cellular levels by immunohistochemical staining. Our results indicate that importin-α3 is the most abundant isoform in the respiratory tract of chickens, turkeys, and pekin ducks. Moreover, importin-α is expressed as a gradient with lowest mRNA levels in the conchae and highest levels in the lung. The mRNA expression levels of most isoforms were higher in tissues from post-hatch chickens and turkeys in comparison to the corresponding embryos. In contrast to that, duck embryos mostly show higher mRNA expression levels of importin-α than post-hatch ducks.