Cloning and characterization of cDNAs encoding two forms of avian stem cell factor

Area of Science:

• Developmental Biology
• Molecular Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Stem cell factor (SCF), also known as Steel factor, is a transmembrane cytokine vital for development and the ligand for receptor tyrosine kinase c-kit.
• Mammalian species exhibit two SCF isoforms: a long soluble form and a short membrane-anchored form. Birds have only the long form identified to date.

Purpose of the Study:

• To obtain complementary DNAs (cDNAs) encoding two forms of quail stem cell factor (qSCF).
• To analyze the homology and expression patterns of qSCF in quail tissues.

Main Methods:

• Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with nested primers was employed to obtain qSCF cDNAs.
• Northern blot analysis was utilized to examine the expression of qSCF transcripts in various quail tissues.

Main Results:

• Two forms of qSCF were successfully identified and their cDNAs obtained.
• The deduced amino acid sequence of the long qSCF form showed 98% homology with chicken SCF and approximately 53% homology with mammalian SCFs.
• Northern blot analysis detected 5.9 kb and 2.7 kb qSCF transcripts in multiple quail tissues.

Conclusions:

• This study reports the identification and characterization of two quail stem cell factor (qSCF) isoforms.
• The findings suggest significant conservation of SCF between avian species and highlight differences compared to mammalian forms.
• The expression analysis provides insights into the tissue distribution of qSCF in quail.