ISOLATION AND STRUCTURE OF A PARTIAL SHEEP OXYTOCIN RECEPTOR CDNA ANDITS USE AS A PROBE FOR NORTHERN ANALYSIS OF ENDOMETRIAL RNA

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to generate a 131 bp cDNA encoding part of the sheep endometrial oxytocin receptor. The nucleot ide sequence of this cDNA was 93.8% identical to the human oxytocin re ceptor sequence in this region. When used to probe Northern blots of s heep endometrial RNA the PCR product identified a 6.7 kb mRNA which ap peared and disappeared during the oestrous cycle in parallel with the oxytocin receptor molecule as measured by ligand binding. The sheep en dometrial receptor mRNA was significantly larger than the human myomet rial mRNA (4.7 kb). It is suggested that the cloned cDNA described her e is an appropriate probe for use where it is required to measure shee p oxytocin receptor mRNA.