Cloning of the alpha and beta ovine thyroid hormone receptor cDNAs

Thyroid hormones modulate critical responses in a variety of tissues during development. While the mechanisms underlying many of these responses are uncertain, specific thyroid hormone nuclear receptor proteins likely play key roles in these processes. Many studies investigating the perinatal role of thyroid hormones in maturation have focused on events occurring in the developing rodent. However, the ovine fetus also serves as a useful model for human fetal thyroid system function. To extend the utility of the ovine model, the cDNAs representing the ovine family of nuclear thyroid receptors have been cloned, sequenced, and used to characterize mRNA species in ovine brain.