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Title: MOLECULAR CLONING OF THE PROCINE INHIBIN-BETA B PRECURSOR SUBUNIT GENE AND REASSIGNMENT TO CHROMOSOME 15

Author
item Nonneman, Danny - Dan
item Rohrer, Gary

Submitted to: Animal Genetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/23/2002
Publication Date: 6/1/2003
Citation: NONNEMAN, D.J., ROHRER, G.A. MOLECULAR CLONING OF THE PROCINE INHIBIN-BETA B PRECURSOR SUBUNIT GENE AND REASSIGNMENT TO CHROMOSOME 15. ANIMAL GENETICS. 2003. v. 34. p. 213-215.

Interpretive Summary: Accurate assignment of genes to chromosomal regions is important to advancing our knowledge about the genetic organization of swine. Inhibin is a gonadal protein related to ovulation and is composed of two subunits. One subunit had been previously assigned to chromosome 12 in pigs based on partial sequence information. The subunit was completely sequenced and found to be on chromosome 15, not chromosome 12. The complete sequence showed a high degree of similarity with the human inhibin gene located on human chromosome 2, and with the same gene in several other species including birds and fish. This information about the correct location of the swine inhibin gene and its similarity across species will help scientists locate neighboring human genes on swine chromosome 15.

Technical Abstract: Inhibins are gonadal glycoproteins belonging to the TGF-ß superfamily that are composed of a common alpha-subunit disulfide-linked to either a ßA- or ßB-subunit and act to suppress pituitary FSH. The porcine alpha-, ßA- and ßB-subunits have previously been mapped to chromosomes 15, 18 and 12, respectively. A porcine genomic cosmid clone was sequenced that contained similarity to the human inhibin-ßB precursor subunit and a microsatellite that mapped to chromosome 15. Over 6.7 kb of the inhibin-ßB precursor subunit gene was sequenced and found to contain 2 microsatellites, one in intron 1 and the other in the 3'-untranslated region; both map to pig chromosome 15, relative position 48 cM. This sequence was greater than 99% identical to 2 partial noncontiguous cDNAs for porcine inhibin-ßB. Non-coding regions also had a high degree (79-88% identity) of homology with the corresponding human regions of the gene. Based on sequence information and mapping of 2 novel microsatellite markers, we reassign porcine inhibin-ßB precursor subunit to chromosome 15, which is consistent with comparative physical and linkage maps of this chromosome and human chromosome 2.