Molecular cloning and primary structure of the chicken transforming growth factor-beta 2 gene

The chicken transforming growth factor-beta 2 (TGF-beta 2) gene and its flanking regions were cloned and characterized. The gene contains 7 exons and 6 introns spanning about 70 kb. Primer extension analysis identified one major and two minor starts of transcription. A comparison of the 5'-flanking regions for human and chicken TGF-beta 2 genes revealed limited sequence homology around the start of transcription, including conserved TATA-box, CRE, and AP-2 sequence motifs. A species comparison of the 5' untranslated region did not reveal any sequence homology beyond the coding region. In contrast, the 3' untranslated region was highly conserved, suggesting that this region may play an important role in the expression of the TGF-beta 2 gene.