STRUCTURE OF THE GENE ENCODING HUMAN ALPHA(2)-HS GLYCOPROTEIN (AHSG)

Alpha(2)-HS glycoprotein (AHSG) is a human plasma glycoprotein and fet uin is the homologue in the calf. In this report, we present the struc ture and organization of the AHSG gene. Introns and the 5' and 3'-flan king regions were obtained by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the inverted PCR, respectively, from genomic DNA using AHSG cDNA-specific oligonucleotide primers. The sequence of the PCR products shows that t he coding region spans approximately 8.2 kb and is composed of seven e xons interrupted by six introns. The exon-intron splice junctions agre e with the consensus sequence, and the positions interrupted by intron s are precisely identical to those of the rat insulin receptor tyrosin e kinase inhibitor (fetuin) gene. The 5'-promoter region contains seve ral characteristic sequences such as an A + T-rich sequence of TAAATAA , C/EBP-binding site, and hepatocyte nuclear factor-5 (HNF-5) and seru m response factor (SRF) sites. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.