Isolation of the lysozyme gene of chicken

The lysozyme gene has been purified by molecular cloning from two chicken gene libraries. Several recombinant phages harbouring sequences homologous to a plasmid carrying a double stranded lysozyme cDNA have been isolated. One recombinant appears to carry an entire lysozyme gene. Electron microscopic studies show that the latter is split by at least three introns. The length of the gene is about 3.9 kb, 6 times longer than lysozyme mRNA.