Characterization of avian LEAP2 transcripts with alternative polyadenylation and their 3′UTR stability
- 1Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural and Animal Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212100, China
- 2Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Scientific Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, 212100, China
Abstract
LEAP2 is a key regulator of appetite and metabolism, yet its transcriptional regulation, especially alternative polyadenylation (APA)‑derived transcript isoforms under different feeding states, remains largely uncharacterized in poultry. Here, combining tissue expression profiling, 5′/3′‑RACE, and dual‑luciferase reporter assays, we systematically characterized LEAP2 transcript isoforms in avian species and mice. Tissue profiling showed duck LEAP2 was highly expressed in liver, kidney and small intestine, whereas mouse Leap2 was mainly restricted to liver and small intestine. Two APA generated LEAP2 isoforms with identical coding sequences but distinct 3′UTR lengths (the long and short variants designated l‑3′UTR and s‑3′UTR, respectively) were identified in all tested avian species, and homologous isoforms existed in mice; the avian l‑3′UTR sequence was highly conserved across poultry species but divergent from the mouse ortholog. Feeding-status assays revealed post-prandial alterations in avian l-3′UTR-LEAP2 abundance. After fasting-refeeding, the l‑3′UTR isoform predominated in ducks (two‑thirds of total transcripts), whereas mouse Leap2 was unresponsive to feeding. Dual-luciferase assays demonstrated species-dependent 3′UTR stability. The s-3′UTR was more stable in chicken and quail, while l-3′UTR was more stable in ducks. Mechanistically, RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) PUM2 and ZFP36 were validated to modulate l‑3′UTR stability, and two miRNAs (gga‑miR‑2188‑3p, gga‑miR‑190a‑3p) were confirmed to target the 3′UTR and regulate LEAP2 expression in hepatocytes. Collectively, this study identifies conserved APA‑derived LEAP2 3′UTR isoforms in poultry with species‑specific stability co‑regulated by RBPs and miRNAs, laying a basis for further mechanistic investigation of LEAP2 in avian energy homeostasis.
Related
- G-quadruplexes in the proximity 3′-UTR enhances alternative polyadenylation of Neogenin 1
- Alternative polyadenylation in cancer: mechanisms, functions, and therapeutic potential.
- Surveying alternative transcripts of disease-associated genes and their cell type specificity – a case study with ANK3
- The stability of m6A-marked transcripts is linked to cell identity in planarians
- Arabidopsis nanopore direct RNA sequencing data for mutants in splicing, polyadenylation, and m6A methylation.
BibTeX
@article{wang2026characterization,
title = {{Characterization of avian LEAP2 transcripts with alternative polyadenylation and their 3′UTR stability}},
author = {Hui Wang and Xin Shu and Yutong Wang and Bingjie Xu and Li Liu and Yimeng Li and Ziqiu Niu and Xiaotong Zheng and Jianfei Chen},
journal = {Poultry Science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.psj.2026.108027},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2026.108027},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Characterization of avian LEAP2 transcripts with alternative polyadenylation and their 3′UTR stability
AU - Hui Wang
AU - Xin Shu
AU - Yutong Wang
AU - Bingjie Xu
AU - Li Liu
AU - Yimeng Li
AU - Ziqiu Niu
AU - Xiaotong Zheng
AU - Jianfei Chen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - Poultry Science
DO - 10.1016/j.psj.2026.108027
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2026.108027
AB - LEAP2 is a key regulator of appetite and metabolism, yet its transcriptional regulation, especially alternative polyadenylation (APA)‑derived transcript isoforms under different feeding states, remains largely uncharacterized in poultry. Here, combining tissue expression profiling, 5′/3′‑RACE, and dual‑luciferase reporter assays, we systematically characterized LEAP2 transcript isoforms in avian species and mice. Tissue profiling showed duck LEAP2 was highly expressed in liver, kidney and small intestine, whereas mouse Leap2 was mainly restricted to liver and small intestine. Two APA generated LEAP2 isoforms with identical coding sequences but distinct 3′UTR lengths (the long and short variants designated l‑3′UTR and s‑3′UTR, respectively) were identified in all tested avian species, and homologous isoforms existed in mice; the avian l‑3′UTR sequence was highly conserved across poultry species but divergent from the mouse ortholog. Feeding-status assays revealed post-prandial alterations in avian l-3′UTR-LEAP2 abundance. After fasting-refeeding, the l‑3′UTR isoform predominated in ducks (two‑thirds of total transcripts), whereas mouse Leap2 was unresponsive to feeding. Dual-luciferase assays demonstrated species-dependent 3′UTR stability. The s-3′UTR was more stable in chicken and quail, while l-3′UTR was more stable in ducks. Mechanistically, RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) PUM2 and ZFP36 were validated to modulate l‑3′UTR stability, and two miRNAs (gga‑miR‑2188‑3p, gga‑miR‑190a‑3p) were confirmed to target the 3′UTR and regulate LEAP2 expression in hepatocytes. Collectively, this study identifies conserved APA‑derived LEAP2 3′UTR isoforms in poultry with species‑specific stability co‑regulated by RBPs and miRNAs, laying a basis for further mechanistic investigation of LEAP2 in avian energy homeostasis.
SN - 0032-5791
SN - 1525-3171
ER -