Isolation, characterization, and DNA sequence of the rat somatostatin gene

• Published in: The Journal of biological chemistry Vol. 259; no. 19; pp. 11798 - 11803
• Main Authors: TAVIANINI, M. A, HAYES, T. E, MAGAZIN, M. D, MINTH, C. D, DIXON, J. E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 10-10-1984
• Subjects: Animals; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; DNA - isolation & purification; DNA Restriction Enzymes - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes. Genome; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; Somatostatin - genetics; Transcription, Genetic; Hormone; Protein hormone; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Gene; Rat; Rodentia; Gene organization; Somatostatin
• ISSN: 0021-9258; 1083-351X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0021-9258(20)71282-2

The gene encoding rat somatostatin has been isolated from a lambda phage gene library. Phage harboring the gene were identified
by plaque hybridization using a nick-translated fragment derived from the cDNA for rat somatostatin. The transcriptional unit
includes exons of 238 and 367 base pairs (bp) separated by one intron of 621 bp. The intron is located between the codons
for Gln (-57) and Glu (-56) of prosomatostatin. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence 5' to the start of transcription reveals
a number of sequences which may be involved in the expression of somatostatin. A variant of the "TATA" box, TTTAAA, lies 26
bp upstream from the start of transcription, and a sequence homologous to the "CAAT" box (GGCTAAT) is 92 bp upstream from
the transcription start. A long alternating purine-pyrimidine stretch, (GT)25, which is similar to Z DNA-forming sequences
in other genes, lies 628 bp 5' to the transcription start and is flanked by small repeats. Hybridization analysis shows that
this region is highly repeated in the genome and that homologous sequences are located approximately 2 kilobase pairs downstream
from the poly(A) addition site. Southern hybridization of the lambda clone with probes derived from brain or liver poly(A+)
RNA demonstrates that another transcribed sequence lies about 7 kilobase pairs downstream from the poly(A) addition site of
the rat somatostatin gene. Analysis of rat DNA suggests that there may be restriction-site polymorphisms in or near the gene
or that additional somatostatin-hybridizing sequences may exist in the genome.