Molecular cloning of cDNA for human prothymosin alpha.

A cDNA library was constructed from human spleen mRNA and screened for clones containing cDNAs coding for prothymosin alpha. A clone containing a 503-base-pair insert including the entire coding sequence for the translated portion of the mRNA was isolated. The deduced amino acid sequence confirms and completes the partial sequence of human prothymosin alpha determined by protein sequencing methods. The presence of an initiator codon immediately preceding the codon for the NH2-terminal serine residue and of a terminator codon immediately following the codon for Asp-109, the COOH-terminal residue, suggests that prothymosin alpha is synthesized without formation of a larger precursor polypeptide. Analysis of the 5' sequence preceding the initiator methionine codon excluded the presence of a signal peptide in the translated sequence.