GENOMIC ORGANIZATION OF A GENE ENCODING THE SPICULE MATRIX PROTEIN SM30 IN THE SEA-URCHIN STRONGYLOCENTROTUS-PURPURATUS

Citation
K. Akasaka et al., GENOMIC ORGANIZATION OF A GENE ENCODING THE SPICULE MATRIX PROTEIN SM30 IN THE SEA-URCHIN STRONGYLOCENTROTUS-PURPURATUS, The Journal of biological chemistry, 269(32), 1994, pp. 20592-20598
Citations number
21
Categorie Soggetti
Biology
ISSN journal
00219258
Volume
269
Issue
32
Year of publication
1994
Pages
20592 - 20598
Database
ISI
SICI code
0021-9258(1994)269:32<20592:GOOAGE>2.0.ZU;2-4
Abstract
We report the characterization of a genomic clone containing portions of two tandemly arranged genes that encode a spicule matrix protein, S M30, of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. The isolated 18. 4-kilobase genomic clone contains the complete genomic sequence of one SM30 gene, designated SM30-alpha, and a portion of another SM30 gene, designated SM30-beta. Southern blot analysis shows that SM30 protein is encoded by a small gene family of two to four members. RNase protec tion assays indicate that the SM30-alpha gene is expressed at the time of spicule formation in the sea urchin embryo. In addition, mapping o f SM30-alpha shows that a large single intron interrupts the coding se quence. Comparison of the nucleic acid and amino acid sequences of the SM30-alpha genomic sequence and the previously isolated SM30 cDNA rev eals them to be very similar, but not identical. We also demonstrate t hat 2.6 kilobases of upstream sequence of SM30-alpha are sufficient to direct primary mesenchyme cell-specific expression of a reporter gene construct.