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Genetic conservation of cyclo-oxygenase
1Action Research Laboratory For The Molecular Biology of Fetal Development, Royal Post Graduate Medical School, Queen Charlottes and Chelsea Hospital, London, England.
Prostaglandins
|February 1, 1991
Summary
Investigating cyclo-oxygenase (COX) gene evolution, this study found high homology across species using zoo blots. Human COX shows closer ties to sheep and ruminants than to mouse COX, with similar transcripts detected in human placenta.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Cyclo-oxygenase (COX) enzymes play crucial roles in inflammation and physiology.
- Understanding the evolutionary conservation of COX genes across species is vital for comparative genomics and drug development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the homology of sheep and mouse cyclo-oxygenase (COX) cDNA across various species.
- To compare the evolutionary relationship of human COX to that of sheep, mouse, and other ruminants.
Main Methods:
- Utilized "zoo blots" (Southern blot hybridization with diverse species' DNA) to assess cDNA homology.
- Employed sheep and mouse COX cDNA probes for hybridization experiments.
Main Results:
- Both sheep and mouse COX cDNAs exhibited high homology across a wide range of species.
- Human COX demonstrated greater homology with sheep and other ruminants compared to mouse COX.
- Identical sized transcripts for both sheep and mouse COX cDNAs were detected in human placental total RNA.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights significant evolutionary conservation of COX genes.
- Human COX shares a closer evolutionary relationship with ruminant COX than with rodent COX.
- The findings support the utility of sheep and mouse COX cDNA as probes for studying human COX evolution.