Isolation and sequence of a cDNA clone that contains the entire coding region for chicken smooth-muscle alpha-tropomyosin.

We have constructed a cDNA-expression library of approximately 100,000 members from embryonic chicken smooth-muscle mRNA using the plasmid-expression vectors pUC8 and pUC9. Using an immunological screening procedure and 32P-labeled cDNA probes, we have identified and isolated clones encoding smooth-muscle tropomyosin. Plasmid pSMT-10 (approximately 1100 base pairs) was found to hybrid-select mRNA for smooth-muscle alpha-tropomyosin. DNA-sequence analysis revealed that pSMT-10 contained the entire coding region for alpha-tropomyosin and portions of the 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions. Comparison of the derived amino acid sequence of smooth-muscle alpha-tropomyosin with known skeletal-muscle (rabbit and chicken) and platelet (equine) sequences revealed extensive homology between the various proteins. The smooth-muscle tropomyosin shows the greatest sequence divergence from the skeletal-muscle tropomyosins at the COOH-terminal region. In contrast, the smooth-muscle tropomyosin is most homologous to the platelet tropomyosin at the COOH-terminal end. The relationship of the various tropomyosin sequences to function (e.g. interactions with troponin) are considered.