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Human somatostatin I: sequence of the cDNA
Summary
Researchers isolated RNA from human pancreatic tumors to identify somatostatin sequences. They deduced the full mRNA sequence, revealing conserved regions in human and anglerfish preprosomatostatin, suggesting a biological function.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Endocrinology
- Genetics
Background:
- Somatostatin is a peptide hormone with diverse physiological functions.
- Understanding somatostatin precursor structure is crucial for elucidating its regulation and activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the nucleotide sequence of human preprosomatostatin mRNA.
- To analyze the deduced amino acid sequence of the human somatostatin precursor protein.
Main Methods:
- RNA isolation from human pancreatic somatostatinoma.
- cDNA library construction and screening.
- Nucleotide sequencing and sequence analysis.
Main Results:
- Deduced the full-length mRNA sequence of human preprosomatostatin.
- Identified a 116-amino acid precursor protein containing somatostatin-14 and -28.
- Found high conservation in the somatostatin-14 encoding region between human and anglerfish, but divergence in the signal peptide and propeptide regions.
Conclusions:
- Human somatostatin-28 sequence is identical to porcine and ovine forms.
- Conserved secondary structure of propeptides suggests a potential biological function.
- Comparative analysis provides insights into the evolution of somatostatin.