Isolation and characterisation of genes for androgen-responsive secretory proteins of rat seminal vesicles.

Under the influence of testosterone, rat seminal vesicles synthesise large amounts of a tissue specific protein, S. Recombinant lambda clones have been isolated containing overlapping sequences covering a 27.5 kilo base region of the rat genome within which the gene for protein S is located. Recombinant plasmids bearing cDNA sequences for protein S were constructed in pBR328. One (pcS2) contains a 690 nucleotide insert and is probably full length. Detailed restriction maps of the S-gene are presented and the structure was confirmed by analysis of R-loops and heteroduplexes. The S-gene covers a 2 kbp region of the genome and consists of a 5' intron (490 bp) separating a leading exon (120 bp) containing the 5' untranslated region from a central exon (310 bp) containing most of the coding sequence and part of the 3' untranslated region. A larger intron (1100 bp) lies within the 3' untranslated region. The cloned gene is representative of the native gene but the S gene may be heterogeneous. Using pcS2, the hormonal control of S-specific mRNA was examined and a pronounced differential response to testosterone was observed.