Sequence analysis of cDNA encoding rabbit follicle-stimulating hormone beta-subunit precursor protein.
To understand the molecular basis of the rabbit's efficient superovulation, we determined the cDNA sequence of the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) beta-subunit precursor protein using a combination of 5'- and 3'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) with pituitary cDNA libraries of the Japanese White rabbit and compared it with those of other mammals. RACE experiments detected at least three transcripts for the FSHbeta precursor protein in the libraries. The transcripts had lengths of 457, 1,621, and 1,767 bp, from the 5'-end to the poly(A) site. The shortest and mid-length transcripts had the putative polyadenylation signal sequence AATAAA at nucleotides 436 and 1,601, respectively, whereas the longest form had an ATTAAA sequence at nucleotide 1,745 of the cDNA sequence. These transcripts are likely to be polyadenylation variants of one large transcript because they share the same coding sequence for the precursor protein (130 amino acid residues in length). However, only a few shortest variants seem to be formed because the shortest variants were not detected by Northern blot analysis. Phylogenetic analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence indicates that the rabbit is phylogenetically closer to humans than to the other mammals, suggesting that an FSH preparation from human sources would be superior as a follicle stimulant for the induction of superovulation.
Laboratory of Experimental Animal Models, National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Saito-Asagi 7-6-8, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0085, Japan.
Yoko
Y
Noguchi
Kaoru
K
Takano
Minako
M
Koura
Kozue
K
Uchio-Yamada
Junichiro
J
Matsuda
Osamu
O
Suzuki
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D037201:Follicle Stimulating Hormone, beta Subunit / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000254:growth & development; D010802:Phylogeny; D011817:Rabbits; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D037201:Follicle Stimulating Hormone, beta Subunit