MOLECULAR-CLONING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MOUSE PREPROGALANIN GENE

Using a probe obtained by PCR amplification from mouse genomic DNA, a genomic clone was isolated covering the entire mouse preprogalanin gen e. The mouse gene has an exon:intron organisation very similar to that of the rat and human genes. The first exon is noncoding while exons 2 -5 carry the coding region. Exon 6 also encodes the stop codon and a p olyadenylation signal. The deduced amino-acid sequence of mouse prepro galanin is 94% and 68% identical to the rat and human peptide, respect ively. The amino-acid sequence of mouse galanin was confirmed by RT-PC R amplification of mouse brain RNA. The cloning of the mouse galanin g ene should allow elucidation of the regulatory characteristics of its promoter and facilitate transgenic approaches to the analysis of galan in gene function in this species.