2 FORMS OF AVIAN (CHICKEN) TATA-BINDING PROTEIN MESSENGER-RNA GENERATED BY ALTERNATIVE POLYADENYLATION

We have isolated and sequenced the cDNA encoding avian(chicken) TATA-b inding protein (cTBP). The cTBP protein shows a significant homology t o those of the other species, and especially its C-terminal region (18 0 amino acid residues) is identical to those of the vertebrates, By No rthern blot analysis, we found that two transcripts with about 2.1 kb (cTBP0) and 2.7 kb (cTBP1) were expressed in various chicken tissues, though only one type of the TBP transcript was reported in vertebrates , A primer extension study demonstrated a single transcription start s ite, The analysis of the genomic structure of cTBP with the sequences of the two types of cTBP cDNAs(cTBP0 and cTBP1) revealed that the alte rnative polyadenylation generates two transcripts with different 3'unt ranslated regions (3'UTRs), indicating a putative role of the differen t 3'UTRs on the stability of cTBP mRNAs. (C) 1997 Academic Press.