Complete nucleotide sequence of a chicken alpha-globin cDNA.

The entire sequence of a 541 bp insert in recombinant plasmid pHb1003 has been determined. This plasmid, which was shown to carry a cloned cDNA copy of the chicken alpha-globin mRNA, contains the complete structural gene as well as 19 bp of the 5'-untranslated region and 99 bp of the 3'-untranslated region. This sequence may encode a non-adult alpha-globin gene, especially since the cDNA clones were generated from phenylhydrazine-induced, globin-specific mRNA extracted from anemic white leghorns. The possibility that this alpha-globin might represent a stress globin is considered.