Expression analysis of ruminant α-lactalbumin in transgenic mice: Developmental regulation and general location of important cis-regulatory elements

• Published in: FEBS letters 1992-02, Vol.297 (1), p.13-18
• Main Authors: Soulier, S., Vilotte, J.L., Stinnakre, M.G., Mercier, J.C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Northern; Blotting, Western; Bovine; bovine α-lactalbumin; bαLa; Cattle; Cellular Biology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Goat; goat α-lactalbumin; Goats; gαLa; Lactalbumin - genetics; Lactalbumin - metabolism; Lactation - genetics; Life Sciences; Mice; Mice, Transgenic - growth & development; Milk composition; Milk Proteins - genetics; Milk Proteins - metabolism; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; RNA - genetics; Tissue Distribution; Tissue-specificity; Transcription, Genetic; Transgenic mouse; WAP; whey acidic protein; α-Lactalbumin; αLa
• ISSN: 0014-5793; 1873-3468
• DOI: 10.1016/0014-5793(92)80317-A

The bovine α-lactalbumin transgene with 750 bp and 336 bp of the 5′ and 3′ flanking region, respectively, is developmentally regulated as its endogenous counterpart in transgenic mice. Comparative expression analysis of three 5′-shortened constructs suggests that the region −4771/−220 contains important cis-acting transcriptional elements. The level of expression of a long caprine α-lactalbumin transgene encompassing 8.5 kb and 9.5 kb of the 5′ and 3′ flanking region, respectively, was higher but still unrelated to the copy number. Expression of the transgenes and of endogenous milk-protein genes was tissue-specific. In contrast with a recent report, only low amounts of the relevant mRNA were detected in some skin samples, which suggests a possible contamination by mammary tissue.