Distinct developmental regulatory mechanisms for two members of the aldolase gene family

The aldolase isozyme family is composed of three members, A, B, and C, which are encoded by separate genes. The proteins are expressed in a tissue-restricted manner during development and in the adult. To elucidate the regulation of aldolase mRNA in the mouse liver, we analyzed its expression by a number of methods including Northern blot, RNA dot blot, and nuclear run-on assays. Our experiments demonstrate that the expression of aldolase A in the liver is primarily regulated by post-transcriptional control. In contrast, we found that changes in the level of aldolase B mRNA are due to changes in the rate of initiation of transcription. In addition, we examined the regulation of aldolase expression in the adult kidney. We found that although the kidney has eight times more aldolase B than the liver, the rate of initiation of transcription is similar in both tissues. Also, the rate of initiation of transcription of aldolase A is the same in the adult kidney and liver although there is 40 times more steady state aldolase A mRNA in the kidney than in the liver.