Molecular cloning of a cDNA encoding the nerve growth factor precursor from Mastomys natalensis
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abstract
Mastomys natalensis is an African rat that has high levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) in its submaxillary glands. Like in the mouse, Mastomys NGF is found as a high-molecular-weight complex. However, the Mastomys complex differs from the mouse complex, in that the gamma-subunit is either missing or is less tightly bound in the Mastomys NGF complex. In the mouse, the gamma-subunit has been implicated in the processing of the beta-NGF precursor. The possible lack of gamma-subunits in the Mastomys NGF high-molecular-weight complex suggested that the Mastomys beta-NGF precursor might differ from the mouse beta-NGF precursor in some of its processing sites. In particular, Mastomys beta-NGF might lack the C-terminal dipeptide cleavage site implicated in beta-gamma subunit interactions in mouse NGF. In order to test this hypothesis, we isolated and sequenced a cDNA clone for Mastomys beta-NGF. We report here the cloning and sequencing of a cDNA coding for beta-NGF from Mastomys natalensis. The cDNA library was prepared from Mastomys submaxillary gland mRNA and the beta-NGF clone was isolated using a mouse cDNA as a probe. The nucleotide sequence of Mastomys beta-NGF is 95% homologous to that of mouse beta-NGF. In particular, the Mastomys beta-NGF precursor contains the same three C-terminal residues as the mouse, suggesting that the Mastomys beta-NGF precursor could interact with a gamma-like subunit.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
