Abstract
Activins are dimeric proteins that belong to the transforming growth factor-β superfamily. Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we have cloned and sequenced activin βA and βB genes, which encode the mature region of the peptides, from carp and medaka genomic DNA. The carp activin gene that codes for one type of βA and three types of βB was isolated from carp genomic DNA. *3Similarly, the medaka activin gene that codes for two types of βA and one type of βB was isolated from medaka genomic DNA. *4High identities were found to exist between these subunits and their mammalian counterparts. The carp βA subunit has 75.5% nucleotide sequence identity with the human βA subunit and the three carp βB subunits more than 84% with the human βB subunit. The two medaka βA subunits have greater than 73.5% nucleotide sequence identity with the human βA subunit, while the medaka βB subunit exhibits 84% sequence identity with the human βB subunit.
