Molecular cloning of an adducin-like protein: evidence of a polymorphism in the normotensive and hypertensive rats of the Milan strain

Differences genetically associated with the development of hypertension in a strain of genetically hypertensive rat (MHS) were described in ion transport across erythrocyte membranes compared to normotensive control (MNS). Antibodies against the MNS ghost proteins were raised in the MHS, producing an immunoreaction against a 105 KDa protein later identified as adducin. A clone coding for a portion of mouse adducin was isolated with these antibodies. Using this clone, overlapping cDNA clones coding for a 63 KDa adducin-like protein were isolated. A family of related mRNAs of about 3500, 3800, 4200 nt, was found to be present in spleen, kidney and heart tissues. Similar mRNAs and an additional tissue specific 8000 nt mRNA are present in brain. All mRNAs seem to be generated by alternative splicing from the transcript of a single gene. An interesting polymorphism, a Gln to Arg substitution, was detected in the carboxiterminal area of rat adducin 63.