title: Molecular cloning of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) immunglobulin E heavy chain constant region.
abstract: The immunobiology of marsupial IgE is poorly understood. As a first step towards the development of immunological reagents for marsupials and to obtain a further understanding of immunoglobulin evolution, a brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) mesenteric lymph node cDNA library was screened for the heavy chain constant region of IgE (Cepsilon), using a partial Cepsilon probe from the American marsupial, Monodelphis domestica. The cDNA sequence for T. vulpecula Cepsilon was determined and found to be most similar to the M. domestica Cepsilon sequence [(76%) at the amino acid level]. T. vulpecula Cepsilon has amino acid sequence similarities ranging from 43-52% with various eutherian Cepsilon sequences. The secondary structure of T. vulpecula Cepsilon, based on loops formed by internal disulfide bonds, more closely resembles rodent Cepsilon than the American marsupial sequence.
authors.affiliation: CRC for Conservation and Management of Marsupials, School of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Australia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Belov
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006801:Humans; D007127:Immunoglobulin Constant Regions / Q000235:genetics; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000235:genetics*; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics; D008322:Mammals; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009893:Opossums / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D007127:Immunoglobulin Constant Regions; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007073:Immunoglobulin E