Cloning and ontogenetic expression of the uncoupling protein 1 gene UCP1 in sheep

The uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) is an indicator of brown adipocytes and is involved in the control of body temperature and regulation of energy balance. It abundantly expresses in newborns and has important functions in adults. However, little information was known on UCP1 gene expression in young and adolescent sheep. In this study, we cloned and identified the full-length DNA and cDNA sequences of the ovine UCP1 gene, which were 6659 bp and...