CDNA CLONING OF LUTEINIZING-HORMONE SUBUNITS FROM BRUSHTAIL POSSUM AND RED KANGAROO

Luteinizing hormone (LH) plays an important role in the reproductive c ycles of all mammals. There is a large amount of both nucleotide and a mino acid sequence data available for LH from eutherian mammals, but l ittle is known about the primary structure of LH in marsupials. We hav e used consensus PCR primers to generate specific probes for screening pituitary cDNA libraries and report the cloning of the cDNAs encoding the alpha-subunit of LH (also shared by a number of other glycoprotei n hormones) and the LH-specific beta-subunit, from the common brushtai l possum, Trichosurus vulpecula, and the red kangaroo, Macropus rufus. Southern blotting experiments indicated that both genes are probably present as single copies. Comparison of the deduced marsupial protein sequences with homologous sequences from other vertebrates revealed a high degree of conservation, especially for the alpha-subunit. These s equences represent the first complete primary structures for a marsupi al glycoprotein hormone to have been elucidated.