Identification of brush border myosin-I in liver and testis

Brush border myosin-I, or BBMI, constitutes the lateral links that connect in intestinal microvilli the core bundle of actin filaments to the membrane. Although related molecules have been identified in other higher eukaryotic tissues, northern blot analysis has indicated that the distribution of this particular myosin-I isoform is restricted essentially to intestine. Using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction we have identified BBMI in a wide range of tissues including liver and testis. Our results also indicate that in testis the BBMI gene might be alternatively spliced.