Tissue expression patterns of chicken octamer-binding proteins

The octamer motif is important in transcriptional regulation of genes of th e immune system in many species, including the chicken. Little is known, ho wever, regarding octamer-binding protein expression in chicken tissues. We examined octamer-binding protein expression patterns in multiple chicken ti ssues (ovary, cerebrum, liver, lung, kidney, spleen, thymus, and bursa of F abricius) plus two lymphocyte cell lines. Every tissue and cell line had mu ltiple octamer-binding proteins. Seven distinct protein-DNA complexes were identified. Our results demonstrate that multiple octamer-binding proteins, exhibiting differential tissue expression, exist in a wide variety of tiss ues of the chicken.