Expression of the delta-crystallin genes in the embryonic chicken lens.
The amounts of lens mRNA derived from the delta 1- and delta 2-crystallin genes of the chicken were determined by primer extension experiments using gene-specific synthetic oligonucleotides. The primer extended products were sequenced to establish the identity of the resulting cDNAs. The results indicated that most of the delta-crystallin mRNA in the 14-day-old embryonic lens contained transcripts derived from the delta 1 gene. Importantly, however, about 1-2% of the extended products were derived from delta 2 mRNA. Although not quantitative, the primer extension experiments suggested that the delta 1/delta 2 mRNA ratio may differ in the lens fiber cells during development between 6 days of embryogenesis and 3 weeks after hatching. These data provide the first demonstration for the presence of delta 2-crystallin mRNA in the chicken lens and raise the possibility that the two linked, extremely similar delta-crystallin genes are differentially regulated during development.
Parker
D S
DS
Laboratory of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Wawrousek
E F
EF
Piatigorsky
J
J
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002642:Chick Embryo; D003459:Crystallins / Q000235:genetics*; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000032:analysis* / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000032:analysis; D010957:Plasmids; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*
D003459:Crystallins; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D012333:RNA, Messenger