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
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.