Gene expression analysis of hyper active mutant SPORTS rat [muscle]. Rattus norvegicus

To get insight into the genetic characteristics of hyper active mutant line of rat, SPORTS, and the effect of exercise on gene expression, we compared gene expression profiles of exercised SPORTS rat, sedentary SPORTS rat, and sedentary wild type rat. Using RNA extracted from the muscle of these rats, we performed microarray analysis. Subsequent GO analyses revealed that genes belonging to muscle development and glycolysis were upregulated in exercised SPORTS rat compared to sedentary SPORTS rat, and genes related to coagulation were upreguated in sedentary SPORTS rat compared to wild type rat. These results were consistent with phenotypes, such as hyper activity and thrombotic tendency, which were reported for SPORTS rat. Overall design: Gene expression was measured using RNA prepared from the skeletal muscle of exercised SPORTS rat, sedentary SPORTS rat, and sedentary wild type rat. The background strain of SPORTS rat is Wistar, and the wild type rat, we used in this experimet, is also Wistar strain.