Molecular cloning and relative tissue expression of decorin and lumican inembryonic quail cornea

We have cloned and sequenced the cDNAs for quail cornea proteoglycan core p roteins, decorin and lumican. Comparison of deduced amino acid sequences sh ows that two of five amino acid differences in the mature protein between q uail and chick decorin, and two of three for lumican, are non-conservative. Ribonuclease protection assay of Day 16 embryonic quail tissues reveals th at decorin and lumican are most highly expressed in cornea, and that both a re also highly expressed at approximately equal levels in most other tissue s. Decorin is highly expressed in sclera and sternum, whereas lumican is ex pressed in these tissues, as well as in liver, at very low levels. Both dec orin and lumican are expressed at lowest levels in brain. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V./International Society of Matrix Biology. All rights reserved.