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PMID: 6209613 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Only three of the seven human chorionic gonadotropin beta subunit genes can be expressed in the placenta.

Nucleic acids research ·Vol. 12 ·No. 22 ·1984-11-26 ·Pages 8415-36

Talmadge K, Boorstein WR, Vamvakopoulos NC, Gething MJ, Fiddes JC

Abstract

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a placental hormone essential for the maintenance of pregnancy. While the alpha subunit of this hormone is encoded by a single gene, the beta subunit is encoded by a complex family of seven very similar genes or pseudogenes. Two approaches have been taken to establish which of these genes are functional. First, we have used two restriction enzyme site polymorphisms to correlate 15 independently isolated beta hCG cDNA clones with their corresponding genes. Second, we have used transient expression in COS cells to assay for correctly-initiated transcription from six of the seven beta hCG gene promoters. From these data, we conclude that, at most, only three of the seven beta hCG genes are expressed in the placenta. Comparison of the sequences of a functional and a non-functional beta hCG gene reveals no obvious differences, such as promoter changes, that could account for this differential expression.

MeSH Terms
Animals Base Sequence Cell Line Chlorocebus aethiops Chorionic Gonadotropin/genetics Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human Cloning, Molecular DNA Restriction Enzymes Escherichia coli/genetics Female Genes Humans Kidney Peptide Fragments/genetics Placenta/metabolism Plasmids Polymorphism, Genetic Pregnancy Transfection
Chemicals
Chorionic Gonadotropin Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human Peptide Fragments DNA Restriction Enzymes
Authors & Affiliations
5 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Talmadge K
Boorstein W R
Vamvakopoulos N C
Gething M J
Fiddes J C
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Article Info
Journal
Nucleic acids research
Abbr.
Nucleic Acids Res
ISSN
0305-1048
DOI
10.1093/nar/12.22.8415
Published
1984-11-26
Pages
8415-36
Language
English
Region
England
NLM ID
0411011
PMCID
PMC320381
Subset
IM
Databases
GENBANK
J03720, X00265, X01148, X01150
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1093/nar/12.22.8415 PMC Full Text View journal details
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