title: Molecular cloning of a cDNA encoding the nerve growth factor precursor from Mastomys natalensis.
abstract: Mastomys natalensis is an African rat that has high levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) in its submaxillary glands. Like in the mouse, Mastomys NGF is found as a high-molecular-weight complex. However, the Mastomys complex differs from the mouse complex, in that the gamma-subunit is either missing or is less tightly bound in the Mastomys NGF complex. In the mouse, the gamma-subunit has been implicated in the processing of the beta-NGF precursor. The possible lack of gamma-subunits in the Mastomys NGF high-molecular-weight complex suggested that the Mastomys beta-NGF precursor might differ from the mouse beta-NGF precursor in some of its processing sites. In particular, Mastomys beta-NGF might lack the C-terminal dipeptide cleavage site implicated in beta-gamma subunit interactions in mouse NGF. In order to test this hypothesis, we isolated and sequenced a cDNA clone for Mastomys beta-NGF. We report here the cloning and sequencing of a cDNA coding for beta-NGF from Mastomys natalensis. The cDNA library was prepared from Mastomys submaxillary gland mRNA and the beta-NGF clone was isolated using a mouse cDNA as a probe. The nucleotide sequence of Mastomys beta-NGF is 95% homologous to that of mouse beta-NGF. In particular, the Mastomys beta-NGF precursor contains the same three C-terminal residues as the mouse, suggesting that the Mastomys beta-NGF precursor could interact with a gamma-like subunit.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: SRI International Menlo Park, CA 94025.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fahnestock
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bell
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005796:Genes; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009115:Muridae / Q000235:genetics*; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D011498:Protein Precursors; C044242:nerve growth factor, beta subunit precursor; D004247:DNA