CLONING OF THE PORCINE CALBINDIN-D9K COMPLEMENTARY DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC-ACID BY ANCHORED POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION TECHNIQUE

The Calbindin-D9k (CaBP-9k) is a cytosolic calcium binding protein expressed in the mammalian intestine, placenta, and uterus. The protein is probably involved in calcium transport across the intestinal and placental epithelia. In uterus, a function in controlling myometrial activity involving intracellular calcium has been postulated. The amino acid sequence of the porcine CaBP-9k has been determined from intestine. The cDNAs for the bovine, murine, and rat CaBP-9k have been cloned. The objective of this study was the cloning of the porcine cDNA encoding the CaBP-9k. We performed the anchored polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique using rat and bovine cDNA sequence-derived primers for amplification of intestinal cDNA. Both 5' and 3' amplification products were cloned and sequenced. The sequences revealed the full-length cDNA encoding the porcine CaBP-9k, coding region for 79 amino acids, 57 nucleotides 5' and 149 nucleotides 3' noncoding region. The inferred amino acid sequence is identical to the published amino acid sequence, except for one residue. The porcine CaBP-9k cDNA is 82.8% and 69.1% homologous with the bovine and rat sequences, respectively. Both bovine and porcine cDNAs contain a stretch of approximately 50 nucleotides not found in the rat sequence. Northern analysis showed a 600 nucleotide transcript in intestine, kidney, and uterus.