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Molecular cloning and chromosomal localization of the nucleic acid sequences encoding the cerebrovascular and plaque amyloid peptide

Conference · · Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6157596

Amyloid deposits in vessels and neuritic plaques are found in large numbers in the brains of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and adult Downs Syndrome (DS) patients. The partial amino acid sequence of the amyloid peptide has been determined. They used this amino acid sequence to synthesize an oligonucleotide probe specific for the amyloid peptide gene. Screening of a human brain cDNA library with this probe, yielded a clone which contained an insert 1.8 kb. This clone contains a long open reading frame including a region which encodes the 28 amino acids of the amyloid peptide. Northern blots of human brain mRNA detected a transcript of 3.3 kb long which hybridized to their cDNA clone. A similar mRNA was detected in the hamster, mouse, sheep and rabbit brains. Southern blots under stringent hybridization conditions detected sequences homologous to the amyloid gene in the genomes of hamster, mouse, sheep and rabbit suggesting that this gene has been conserved during mammalian evolution. Hybridization under reduced stringency revealed the presence of additional sequences related to the amyloid gene in the genome of the above organisms. Hybridization analysis of human x chinese hamster cell lines DNA showed that the gene encoding the amyloid peptide is located on chromosome 21, suggesting a genetic relationship between AD and DS.

Research Organization:
Institute for Basic Research, Staten Island, NY
OSTI ID:
6157596
Report Number(s):
CONF-870644-
Journal Information:
Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States), Journal Name: Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States) Vol. 46:6; ISSN FEPRA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English