Molecular characterization and chromosome assignment of the porcine gene for leukemia inhibitory factor LIF

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in earl y conceptus development in pig. We isolated a PAC clone containing the porc ine LIF gene and determined the complete DNA sequence of the gene, which sp ans about 6.3 kb and consists of five exons including three alternative fir st exons (1D, 1M, 1T) spliced onto common second and third exons. The LIF-D transcript encodes a protein of 202 amino acids sharing 87, 84, and 78% id entity with respectively human, ovine, and murine leukemia inhibitory facto rs. The LIF-M and LIF-T transcripts both encode a truncated protein of 158 amino acids. Two SNP markers within untranslated regions of the LIF cDNA we re identified. One SNP is located in the 5'-UTR of the alternative exon IT while the other SNP is located in the 3'-UTR of exon 3. Based on fluorescen ce in situ hybridization and radiation hybrid mapping, the porcine LIF gene was assigned to chromosome 14q2.1 -->q2.2. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG , Basel.