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cDNA cloning and molecular characterization of mink SMAD4
Elizabeth Barnes1, Jonathan M Askham, Pamela F Jones
1Molecular Medicine Unit, Clinical Sciences Building, St. James's University Hospital, University of Leeds, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK.
Abstract:
The Smad family of proteins have been implicated as major components of the TGF beta signalling pathway and are important mediators of its pleiotrophic effects. Here we describe the cloning and characterization of the mink (Mustela vison) ortholog of Smad4. Mink Smad4 has a high level of conservation to its human counterpart showing 96% homology at the DNA level and 99% at the amino acid level. This is in agreement with the close homologies seen for the rat and mouse orthologs. In vitro transcription and translation shows the expression of a protein of predicted molecular weight, of identical size to its human counterpart.