CHANGE OF THE MTOR PATHWAY IN TISSUES OF OVERFED GEESE

ABSTRACTThis study aimed at examining the effect of overfeeding on the activity of the mTOR pathway in the liver and muscle tissues of Gang geese. Eighty healthy male Gang geese were reared under the same feeding conditions, and were divided at 14 weeks of age into a control group and an overfed group. All birds were slaughtered after three weeks of over feeding. Gene expression and protein content of several genes involved in the mTOR pathway were evaluated. The results showed that the gene expression of mTOR, raptor, and rictor, and the protein contents of mTOR and PI3K were higher in liver, breast muscle, and leg muscle of the overfed group than that of control group. However, the S6K expression level was clearly lower in the liver of the overfed group than that of control group, and there was no evident difference in both breast muscle and leg muscle between the control group and the overfed group. These results suggest that overfeeding induces the activity of raptor, rictor, and mTOR, and that mTOR signaling pathway was closely linked with PI3K pathway in the evaluated geese.