Genomic structure and sequence of the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) growth hormone-encoding gene: Identification of minisatellite polymorphism inintron I
R. Almuly et al., Genomic structure and sequence of the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) growth hormone-encoding gene: Identification of minisatellite polymorphism inintron I, GENOME, 43(5), 2000, pp. 836-845
The growth hormone (GH) gene of the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) (saGH
) has been cloned, sequenced, and characterized. The saGH gene spans approx
imately 4.3 kb and consists of six exons and five introns, as found for all
cloned teleost GH genes with the exception of carps and catfish. The first
and third introns contain long stretches of repetitive tandem repeats. The
second intron, which is unusually long compared with that in other teleost
s (and other vertebrates) spans 1747 nucleotides (nt) and contains several
inverted repeats. Intron-targeted polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis
identified length polymorphism of the first intron. Sequence analysis of fo
ur variants (405, 424, 636, and 720 nt) out of many variants found revealed
that the variation in length is due to differences in the number of repeat
monomers (17-mer or 15-mer) as well as minor changes in their length. This
repeat unit contains the consensus half-site motif of the thyroid hormone
response element (TRE) and estrogen response element (ERE). Polymorphism wa
s found also in the third intron. This is the first report of such high pol
ymorphism of the first intron of GH gene in a vertebrate.