Molecular Cloning and Expression Analysis of a Mouse Phospholipase C-δ1

Abstract

We describe here the molecular cloning and expression analysis of mouse PLC-δ1 (mPLC-δ1), a key enzyme in cell signal transduction. A mouse brain cDNA library was screened in order to isolate the mPLC-δ1 cDNA. The mPLC-δ1 cDNA was 2660 bp in length. The predicted open reading frame encodes a protein of 756 amino acids with an estimated molecular mass of 85 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence exhibits 96.9% and 92.7% identity with the sequence of rat and human PLC-δ1, respectively. The mPLC-δ1 mRNA was highly expressed in brain, heart, lung, and testis. We found that transcripts of mPLC-δ1 are present in almost all regions of mouse brain examined, implying that the enzyme may play a role in some fundamental cellular process in brain. In male reproductive tract, mPLC-δ1 mRNA was widely expressed in the epididymis as well as in the testis. In situ hybridization studies indicate that distribution of mPLC-δ1 mRNA in mouse testis is discrete and unique. The expression of mPLC-δ1 mRNA was defined in the periphery of each seminiferous tubule, especially in spermatogonia, which might imply that mPLC-δ1 plays a role in proliferation of spermatogonia. To the best our knowledge, this is the first report to demonstrate the high expression of mPLC-δ1 mRNA in spermatogonia of testis. Taken together, these results suggest that mPLC-δ1 may carry out fundamental roles in almost all of mouse tissues, especially in brain and specific roles in testis.