title: cDNA cloning of the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor of the marsupial Macropus eugenii (tammar wallaby).
abstract: cDNA encoding a marsupial polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) was isolated from Macropus eugenii (tammar wallaby) mammary lymph node primarily by reverse transcriptase coupled polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) PCR. This resulted in a 5' truncated clone and, in order to obtain the full-length sequence, genomic walking PCR was utilized. The complete sequence consists of 2696 bp of cDNA and encodes a predicted polypeptide of 732 amino acids. The wallaby sequence is highly conserved in relation to the only other reported marsupial pIgR sequence, that of Trichosurus vulpecula (brushtail possum), having a nucleotide identity of 86.7% and a deduced amino acid identity of 79.9%. The wallaby nucleotide sequence also has a moderate degree of similarity with the pIgR sequences of eutherian mammals, being most similar to that of the rat, with an identity of 63.1%. At the amino acid level, in comparison to eutherian sequences, the wallaby pIgR is most similar to that of humans with an identity of 52.6%. pIgR phylogenetic trees were constructed for tammar wallaby, brushtail possum and several eutherian mammal cDNA and deduced amino acid sequences. In both DNA and protein analyses, the eutherian sequences formed a sister clade to the exclusion of the marsupial sequences, in agreement with the current view of mammalian evolution.
authors.affiliation: School of Science, Food and Horticulture, University of Western Sydney, Penrith South DC, NSW 1797, Australia.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Deane
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D008198:Lymph Nodes; D007614:Macropodidae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019056:Receptors, Polymeric Immunoglobulin / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D019056:Receptors, Polymeric Immunoglobulin