The gene for theta-globin is transcribed in human fetal erythroid tissues.

A new gene like the alpha-globin gene has been identified in higher primates at the 3' end of the alpha-globin gene cluster. There is some controversy as to whether this gene, theta, is a functional globin gene or a non-functional pseudogene. The high degree of sequence conservation displayed b...

Повний опис

Бібліографічні деталі
Автори: Leung, S, Proudfoot, N, Whitelaw, E
Формат: Journal article
Мова:English
Опубліковано: 1987
_version_ 1826274509686046720
author Leung, S
Proudfoot, N
Whitelaw, E
author_facet Leung, S
Proudfoot, N
Whitelaw, E
author_sort Leung, S
collection OXFORD
description A new gene like the alpha-globin gene has been identified in higher primates at the 3' end of the alpha-globin gene cluster. There is some controversy as to whether this gene, theta, is a functional globin gene or a non-functional pseudogene. The high degree of sequence conservation displayed by theta between primates and various mammals, such as horse and rabbit, suggests that this gene is functional in some species. Furthermore, theta encodes a 141-amino-acid polypeptide in sequence similar to alpha-globin and appears to possess functional RNA-processing signals. But the promoter region of theta is unlike the other globin genes because its CCAAT and ATA box sequences are displaced from the coding sequence by the insertion of a 200-base-pair GC-rich sequence. We demonstrate here the presence of theta-globin messenger RNA in human fetal erythroid tissue, but not in adult erythroid or other non-erythroid tissues. Furthermore, theta-globin mRNA is detectable in significant amounts in a human erythroleukaemic cell line. These results predict that theta-globin protein will be found in the early stages of human fetal development. Surprisingly, the promoter sequence of theta-globin does not correspond to the CCAAT and ATA box sequences of the gene but rather lies within the adjacent GC-rich sequence, resulting in a heterogeneous series of mRNA 5' ends 50-10 base pairs to 5' of the initiation codon. This type of promoter is reminiscent of that found in housekeeping genes such as adenine deaminase and hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl-transferase.
first_indexed 2024-03-06T22:44:31Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:5cb0a4e1-7c23-4b0c-9c36-fd9a9e370ea0
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-06T22:44:31Z
publishDate 1987
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:5cb0a4e1-7c23-4b0c-9c36-fd9a9e370ea02022-03-26T17:29:51ZThe gene for theta-globin is transcribed in human fetal erythroid tissues.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:5cb0a4e1-7c23-4b0c-9c36-fd9a9e370ea0EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford1987Leung, SProudfoot, NWhitelaw, EA new gene like the alpha-globin gene has been identified in higher primates at the 3' end of the alpha-globin gene cluster. There is some controversy as to whether this gene, theta, is a functional globin gene or a non-functional pseudogene. The high degree of sequence conservation displayed by theta between primates and various mammals, such as horse and rabbit, suggests that this gene is functional in some species. Furthermore, theta encodes a 141-amino-acid polypeptide in sequence similar to alpha-globin and appears to possess functional RNA-processing signals. But the promoter region of theta is unlike the other globin genes because its CCAAT and ATA box sequences are displaced from the coding sequence by the insertion of a 200-base-pair GC-rich sequence. We demonstrate here the presence of theta-globin messenger RNA in human fetal erythroid tissue, but not in adult erythroid or other non-erythroid tissues. Furthermore, theta-globin mRNA is detectable in significant amounts in a human erythroleukaemic cell line. These results predict that theta-globin protein will be found in the early stages of human fetal development. Surprisingly, the promoter sequence of theta-globin does not correspond to the CCAAT and ATA box sequences of the gene but rather lies within the adjacent GC-rich sequence, resulting in a heterogeneous series of mRNA 5' ends 50-10 base pairs to 5' of the initiation codon. This type of promoter is reminiscent of that found in housekeeping genes such as adenine deaminase and hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl-transferase.
spellingShingle Leung, S
Proudfoot, N
Whitelaw, E
The gene for theta-globin is transcribed in human fetal erythroid tissues.
title The gene for theta-globin is transcribed in human fetal erythroid tissues.
title_full The gene for theta-globin is transcribed in human fetal erythroid tissues.
title_fullStr The gene for theta-globin is transcribed in human fetal erythroid tissues.
title_full_unstemmed The gene for theta-globin is transcribed in human fetal erythroid tissues.
title_short The gene for theta-globin is transcribed in human fetal erythroid tissues.
title_sort gene for theta globin is transcribed in human fetal erythroid tissues
work_keys_str_mv AT leungs thegeneforthetaglobinistranscribedinhumanfetalerythroidtissues
AT proudfootn thegeneforthetaglobinistranscribedinhumanfetalerythroidtissues
AT whitelawe thegeneforthetaglobinistranscribedinhumanfetalerythroidtissues
AT leungs geneforthetaglobinistranscribedinhumanfetalerythroidtissues
AT proudfootn geneforthetaglobinistranscribedinhumanfetalerythroidtissues
AT whitelawe geneforthetaglobinistranscribedinhumanfetalerythroidtissues