Cloning and bioinformatics analysis of cDNA encoding cattle Smad4 gene

The cDNA of cattle Smad4 gene was cloned by RT-PCR, 3′ RACE and 5’t RACE and got a 3503-bp full-long cDNA sequence. The cloned cattle Smad4 cDNA sequence had been send to GenBank and got an accession number: DQ494856. Cattle Smad4 gene consists of 12 exons and codes 553 amino acids. Cattle Smad4 cDNA shares 99%, 96%, 95%, 91% and 91% similarity in nucleic acid sequences, and 99%, 98%, 98%, 99% and 98% similarity in amino acid sequences with sheep, pig, human, rat and mouse, respectively. Smad4 cDNA was found in the testes, pancreas, liver, small intestine, ovary, lymph, cardiac muscle, skeleton muscle and thymus gland, which indicated that Smad4 was broadly expressed in cattle. __________ Translated from Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica, 2007, 38(4): 321–325 [译自: 畜牧兽医学报]