Identification and sequence analysis of Tapasin gene in guinea fowl

Aim: An attempt has been made to identify and study the nucleotide sequence variability in exon 5 exon 6 regions of guinea fowl Tapasin gene. Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected from randomly selected birds (12 guinea fowl birds) and Tapasin gene amplified using chicken specific primers designed from GenBank submitted sequences. Polymerase chain reaction conditions were standardized so as get only single amplicons. Obtained products were then cloned and sequenced; sequences were then analyzed using suitable software. Results: Amplicon size of the Tapasin gene in guinea fowl was same as reported in chicken with areas of transitions and transversions. The sequence variations reported in these coding sequences might have influence in the protein structure, which may be correlated with the increased immune status of the bird when compared with chicken breeds. Conclusion: Since Tapasin gene is an immunologically important gene, which plays an important role in the immune status of the bird. Sequence variations in the gene can be correlated with the altered immune status of the bird.