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The chicken urokinase-type plasminogen activator gene
N D Leslie1, C A Kessler, S M Bell
1Division of Basic Science Research, Children's Hospital Research Foundation, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229.
The Journal of Biological Chemistry
|January 25, 1990
Summary
Researchers isolated and sequenced the chicken urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) gene and cDNA. This study details its structure, sequence identity to human uPA, and promoter elements, aiding future research into uPA gene regulation.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) plays crucial roles in various physiological and pathological processes.
- Understanding the genetic and molecular characteristics of uPA across species provides insights into its conserved functions and evolutionary adaptations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and characterize the chicken urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) cDNA and gene.
- To determine the nucleotide sequence and analyze the domain structure of chicken uPA.
- To compare the chicken uPA gene and protein sequences with their mammalian counterparts and investigate regulatory elements in the promoter region.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and sequencing of chicken uPA cDNA and gene.
- Northern blot RNA analysis to determine mRNA size.
- Sequence analysis to predict amino acid sequence and domain architecture.
- Sequence alignment to compare chicken and human uPA.
- Bioinformatic analysis of the promoter region for regulatory elements.
Main Results:
- The chicken uPA mRNA is approximately 2500 nucleotides, with a large 3'-noncoding region.
- The predicted chicken uPA protein (434 residues) exhibits a domain structure similar to mammalian uPA (signal peptide, GF, K, and C domains).
- Overall sequence identity between chicken and human uPA is 43.1%, with specific identities in the GF (56.3%), K (48.5%), and C (45.6%) domains.
- The chicken uPA gene spans 8158 base pairs and comprises 11 exons, showing organizational similarity to mammalian uPA genes.
- The promoter region is G/C-rich and contains TATA elements, potential Spl-binding sites, and AP-2-binding sites within repeat elements.
Conclusions:
- The chicken uPA gene and protein share significant structural and sequence similarities with mammalian uPA, suggesting conserved functions.
- The characterized promoter elements provide a basis for investigating the transcriptional regulation of the chicken uPA gene.
- This foundational work enables further exploration into how protein kinases like pp60v-src and protein kinase C influence uPA gene transcription in chickens.