The complete nucleotide sequence of the chicken ovotransferrin mRNA

The nucleotide sequence of an almost double-stranded cDNA copy [Cochet, M., Perrin, F., Gannon, F., Krust, A., Chambon, P., McKnight, G. S., Lee, D. C., Mayo, K. E., and Palmiter, R. D. (1979) Nucleic Acids Res. 6, 2435-2452] of chicken ovotransferrin (conalbumin) mRNA has been determined. Taking into account the previously reported 5'-end sequence [Cochet, M., Gannon, F., Hen, R., Maroteaux, L., Perrin, F., and Chambon, P. (1979) Nature (Lond.) 282, 567-574] we present the complete nucleotide sequence of the ovotransferrin mRNA from which the amino acid sequence of the protein is inferred. A computer and statistical analysis of the nucleotide sequence reveals a pattern of internal homology which confirms that the present-day chicken ovotransferrin gene (and by extrapolation the transferrin genes of other species) has evolved by duplication and gives some support to the quadruplication hypothesis of transferrin evolution.