Molecular cloning and expression analysis of a mouse phospholipase C-delta1

We describe here the molecular cloning and expression analysis of mouse PLC -delta 1 (mPLC-delta 1), a key enzyme in cell signal transduction, A mouse brain cDNA library was screened in order to isolate the mPLC-delta 1 cDNA, The mPLC-delta 1 cDNA was 2660 bp in length. The predicted open reading fra me encodes a protein of 756 amino acids with an estimated molecular mass of 85 kDa, The deduced amino acid sequence exhibits 96.9% and 92.7% identity with the sequence of rat and human PLC-delta 1, respectively. The mPLC-delt a 1 mRNA was highly expressed in brain, heart, lung, and testis, We found t hat transcripts of mPLC-delta 1 are present in almost all regions of mouse brain examined, implying that the enzyme may play a role in some fundamenta l cellular process in brain. In male reproductive tract, mPLC-delta 1. mRNA was widely expressed in the epididymis as well as in the testis, In situ h ybridization studies indicate that distribution of mPLC-delta 1. mRNA in mo use testis is discrete and unique. The expression of mPLC-delta 1 mRNA was defined in the periphery of each seminiferous tubule, especially in spermat ogonia, which might imply that mPLC-delta 1 plays a role in proliferation o f spermatogonia, To the best our knowledge, this is the first report to dem onstrate the high expression of mPLC-delta 1 mRNA in spermatogonia of testi s, Taken together, these results suggest that mPLC-delta 1 may carry out fu ndamental roles in almost all of mouse tissues, especially in brain and spe cific roles in testis, (C) 1999 Academic Press.