IDENTIFICATION OF BRUSH-BORDER MYOSIN-I IN LIVER AND TESTIS

Brush border myosin-I, or BBMI, constitutes the lateral links that con nect in intestinal microvilli the core bundle of actin filaments to th e membrane. Although related molecules have been identified in other h igher eukaryotic tissues, northern blot analysis has indicated that th e distribution of this particular myosin-I isoform is restricted essen tially to intestine. Using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reac tion we have identified BBMI in a wide range of tissues including live r and testis. Our results also indicate that in, testis the BBMI gene might be alternatively spliced. (C) 1995 Academic Press. Inc.