[Mapping of the thyroglobulin gene in high molecular weight DNA from the human thyroid in normal conditions and in...

A highly purified thyroglobulin (Tg) mRNA was isolated from human nodal euthyroid goiter. Ultracentrifugation in a 5-20% sucrose density gradient revealed that the protein has a sedimentation coefficient of 33S. cDNA was synthesized from the 33S RNA, using reverse transcriptase in the presence of a human placental ribonuclease inhibitor. In order to detect the polymorphism of restriction fragment length, screening of high molecular weight DNA from normal human thyroid gland and from nodal euthyroid and diffuse toxic goiters was carried out, using Tg cDNA probes and plasmid DNA containing a Tg cDNA fragment. After restriction with endonuclease Hind III, three Tg-containing fragments were identified both in the normal and nodal euthyroid goiters, whereas restriction with endonuclease Bam HI revealed two Tg-containing fragments in nodal euthyroid and diffuse toxic goiters.