Polymorphic sites in the 5´-region of the porcine C8A gene

Abstract. The membrane attack complex (MAC) of the complement system is known as a natural immune mechanism of hosts against invading pathogens. This study was undertaken to structurally characterize and computationally analyzed the 5´-region, i.e. the downstream promoter region and the 5´-UTR nucleotide sequence of the porcine C8A, one of the components of the MAC. Sequencing approximately 950 bp of the 5´-region and analyzing in silico revealed the transcription start site, the TATA-box, the CAAAT-box, and the GATAAbox. High identity was found in range of 37–74 % among the sequences of pig, human, cattle, and mouse. Transcription factor binding sites, such as NFκB, Oct-1, HNF1, CDP, and C/EBP, showed high conservation between vertebrate animal species, especially between human and mouse, or pig and cattle. Seven single nucleotide polymorphisms were detected in the breeds Hampshire, Duroc, German Landrace, Large White, Pietrain, Berlin Miniature Pig, and Muong Khuong. Nucleotide exchanges could cause the generation of new binding motifs, which may affect the expression of the porcine C8A, particularly the C/EBP regulation of the porcine C8A gene – as described in the human C6 and C7 promoter.