A unique gene for 5-aminolevulinate synthase in chickens. Evidence for expression of an identical messenger RNA in hepatic and erythroid tissues

• Published in: The Journal of biological chemistry Vol. 262; no. 9; pp. 3988 - 3992
• Main Authors: Elferink, C.J., Srivastava, G., Maguire, D.J., Borthwick, I.A., May, B.K., Elliott, W.H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Elsevier Inc 25.03.1987; American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Subjects: 5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase - genetics; ACTIVIDAD ENZIMATICA; ACTIVITE ENZYMATIQUE; Alpharetrovirus; Animals; ARN MENSAJERO; ARN MESSAGER; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Chemistry; Cell Line; Cell Transformation, Viral; CHICKENS; DNA - genetics; DNA, Recombinant; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; ENZYMIC ACTIVITY; ERITROCITOS; Erythroblasts - analysis; ERYTHROCYTE; ERYTHROCYTES; FOIE; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene expression; HIGADO; Immunologic Tests; LIVER; Liver - analysis; MESSENGER RNA; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Myocardium - analysis; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; POLLO; POULET; Reticulocytes - analysis; Ribonucleases; RNA, Messenger - analysis; δ-Aminolaevulinate synthase; Vertebrata; Regulation(control); Messenger RNA; Erythroid cell; Gene; Liver; Tissue specificity; Identification; Chicken; Aves; Gene expression
• ISSN: 0021-9258; 1083-351X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)61300-6

Reports to date have led to the conclusion that there are isozymes for 5-aminolevulinate synthase in the liver and erythroid tissue of chicken. Indeed, the existence of a multigene family for chicken 5-aminolevulinate synthase has been proposed. We find no evidence to support these proposals. In this work we show that 5-aminolevulinate synthase mRNA from chicken liver and reticulocytes is identical as determined by RNase mapping and primer extension studies and that the 5-aminolevulinate synthase protein from these tissues is the same size as judged by immunoblot analysis. We also show that a single mRNA species for 5-aminolevulinate synthase is present in chicken liver, reticulocytes, brain, and heart and an avian erythroblastosis virus-transformed chicken erythroblast cell line. Southern analysis shows the presence of only one gene copy for 5-aminolevulinate synthase in the chicken haploid genome. Overall, these results lead to the conclusion that in chickens 5-aminolevulinate synthase is encoded by a unique gene and is expressed as a single mRNA species in all tissues.