Expression of two aromatase cDNAs in various rabbit tissues.
Aromatase is a steroidogenic enzyme complex which catalyses the conversion of androgens to estrogens. In a previous study, we elucidated the structure of a 2.9 kb aromatase cDNA from ovarian rabbit tissue. We report here, the structure of another shorter aromatase cDNA (1.5 kb) from the same tissue. This cDNA is likely to encode for a nonfunctional aromatase which would lack an heme binding domain. We have shown using an RT-PCR technique that rabbit placental tissue, like the ovarian one, expresses both the 2.9 and 1.5 kb cDNA and that the adipose tissue expresses the 2.9 kb cDNA. Using a 5' RACE procedure, we obtained the 5' end of the placental transcripts. Comparison of its sequence with the 5' end of the ovarian one suggests the existence of distinct exon 1 sequences for each one of the two tissues as already described in the human. These results point to the rabbit as a useful laboratory animal for studying regulation of aromatase expression in adipose and placental tissues.
Delarue
B
B
Laboratoire de Biochimie B, EP CNRS 09, Caen, France.
Breard
E
E
Mittre
H
H
Leymarie
P
P
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001141:Aromatase / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D013045:Species Specificity; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D001141:Aromatase