Melanin production in cultured albino melanocytes transfected with mouse tyrosinase cDNA

• Published in: Idengaku zasshi Vol. 64; no. 2; pp. 121 - 135
• Main Authors: Yamamoto, H. (Tohoku Univ., Sendai (Japan). Faculty of Science), Takeuchi, S, Kudo, T, Sato, C, Takeuchi, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo The Genetics Society of Japan 01.04.1989; University of Tokyo, Institute of Applied Microbiology
• Subjects: ADN; ALBINISM; ALBINISME; ALBINISMO; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Catechol Oxidase - genetics; Cell Line; Cloning, Molecular; DNA; DNA - genetics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GENE TRANSFER; Genes. Genome; Introns; Melanins - biosynthesis; Melanocytes - metabolism; MICE; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Monophenol Monooxygenase - genetics; Monophenol Monooxygenase - metabolism; OXIDOREDUCTASES; OXIDORREDUCTASAS; OXYDOREDUCTASE; PIGMENTACION; PIGMENTATION; RATON; Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; SOURIS; Transfection; TRANSFERENCIA DE GENES; TRANSFERT DE GENE; Genetic transformation; Albinism; Nucleotide sequence; Enzyme; Rodentia; Melanocyte; Monophenol monooxygenase; Gene expression; Secondary structure; Vertebrata; Regulation(control); Mammalia; Complementary DNA; Mouse; Melanin; Aminoacid sequence
• ISSN: 0021-504X; 1880-5787
• DOI: 10.1266/jjg.64.121

An attempt was made in the present study to express mouse tyrosinase cDNAs fused with the authentic genomic 5′ non-coding flanking sequence in cultured albino melanocytes. One of the cDNA sequences, which expressed successfully and produced melanin pigments, was analyzed with respect to deduced amino acid sequence. Sequencing of the tyrosinase genomic gene revealed the existence of several sets of a characteristic structure which consists of a chain of two successive stem structures, CCAAT-homology and TATA box at its 5′ non-coding region. It seems possible that this region represents the regulatory element of the tyrosinase gene. Unusually long GA cluster at 5′ upstream region was also found.