• Paul E Mozdziak, Julia J Dibner, and Darell W McCoy.
• Department of Poultry Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA. pemozdzi@unity.ncsu.edu
• Nutrition. 2003 May 1; 19 (5): 438-40.

ObjectiveGlyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is a key enzyme in the glycolytic pathway, and it is a popular internal standard for northern blot analysis. We examined GAPDH expression early in life when feed is either provided or not provided to animals.MethodsMale broiler chickens were provided a standard starter diet plus Oasis nutritional supplement (fed group; Novus International, St. Louis, MO, USA) or no feed (starved group) for the first 3 d posthatch. Subsequently, the standard starter diet was provided to all chickens between 3 and 7 d posthatch. RNA was extracted from the pectoralis thoracicus, and GAPDH expression was evaluated with quantitative northern analysis.ResultsGAPDH expression was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the fed than in the starved group at 3 d posthatch, suggesting that nutritional manipulations can alter GAPDH transcription. Similarly, GAPDH mRNA levels were significantly (P < 0.05) higher at 7 d posthatch compared with all younger animals, suggesting that GAPDH is developmentally upregulated with advancing age.ConclusionGAPDH expression changes with age and nutrition status in the early posthatch chick, suggesting that GAPDH is not a proper internal standard for muscle studies using quantitative northern analysis.

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