title: Molecular cloning and characterization of ovine homeo-box-containing genes.
abstract: The sheep genome contains at least eleven homeo-boxes (hox). Using two hox-specific 36-mer oligodeoxynucleotides to screen a sheep genomic library, constructed in lambda Charon28, clones of nine of the hox were identified. Six of the hox clones were analysed by nucleotide sequencing, Southern-blot hybridization and Northern-blot analysis. Two of the hox appear to be cognates of the human Hu-1 (or mouse Hox 2.1) and the mouse Hox 1-3, while another is closely related to the mouse Hox 1-4. These results suggest that there is strong sequence conservation in the hox-containing genes of different mammals, and highlight the possible occurrence of an ubiquitous set of hox-containing genes in mammals. Northern-blot analysis of four sheep hox-containing genes indicates that they are all expressed during embryogenesis and that expression is temporally regulated allowing hierarchical-regulatory interaction. Interestingly, none of the cloned hox-containing sequences contain repetitive sequences.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012756:Sheep / Q000235:genetics*; D013045:Species Specificity