Structural characterization of the human platelet-derived growth factor A-chain cDNA and gene: alternative exon usage predicts two different precursor proteins.

The human platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) A-chain locus was characterized by restriction endonuclease analysis, and the nucleotide sequence of its exons was determined. Seven exons were identified, spanning approximately 22 kilobase pairs of genomic DNA. Alternative exon usage, identified by cDNA cloning, occurs in a human glioblastoma cell line and may give rise to two types of A-chain precursors with different C termini. The exon-intron arrangement was similar to that of the PDGF B-chain/sis locus and seemed to divide the precursor proteins into functional domains. Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA showed that a single PDGF A-chain gene was present in the human genome.