Molecular cloning and expression patterns of mouse cartilage oligomeric matrix protein gene.
OBJECTIVE
To develop transgenic mice harboring mutations in the COMP gene as animal models for pseudoachondroplasia (PSACH) and multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (MED), autosomal dominant disorders characterized by early onset osteoarthritis and epiphyseal abnormalities. As a first step in generating a mouse model for COMP mutations, we have cloned the cDNA of mouse COMP and examined its tissue expression pattern.


METHODS
Total mRNA was isolated from the skeletal tissues of newborn C57BL/6j mice and used as a template for oligo(dT) first-strand cDNA synthesis. The cDNA was used for PCR amplification of COMP using three oligonucleotide primer pairs designed from the published rat COMP cDNA sequence. Nested PCR was used to complete the sequence between the amplified fragments. The entire cDNA was sequenced and the expression pattern of the corresponding transcripts examined by Northern hybridizations.


RESULTS
A full-length COMP cDNA was isolated. Analysis showed that the entire translated region of the mouse COMP gene is 2268 bp and the derived amino acid sequence shows 90% homology to human COMP. Of eight adult mouse non-cartilage tissues tested, COMP expression was detected only in testis.
Kipnes
J R
JR
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
Xu
L
L
Han
F
F
Rallapalli
R
R
Jimenez
S
S
Hall
D J
DJ
Tuan
R S
RS
Li
Y
Y
D000130:Achondroplasia / Q000235:genetics; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002356:Cartilage / Q000378:metabolism; D064236:Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D064235:Matrilin Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D010009:Osteochondrodysplasias / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D064236:Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; C577540:Matn1 protein, mouse; D064235:Matrilin Proteins; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C577553:TSP5 protein, human