Molecular cloning of the human thyrotropin-β subunit gene

Abstract

Genomic DNA fragments that carried a gene for human thyrotropin-β(hTSHβ) subunit were isolated. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the gene showed that the hTSHβ subunit precursor consists of 138 amino acid residues. There is an N-terminal sequence of 20 amino acids as a signal peptide, followed by 112 amino acids, whose sequence is in agreement with that known for the secretory form of hTSHβ subunit. This is followed by an additional stretch of 6, hydrophobic amino acids, which may be eliminated post-translationally. The coding region is separated by an intron of about 460 bp. Genomic Southern blot hybridization analysis suggested that the hTSHβ gene is a unique single copy gene.