Abstract
Recent study has shown that bone/liver/kidney alkaline phosphatase (ALP) gene generates two kinds of mRNAs by the alternative usage of two leader exons (exon 1a and exon 1b). To examine the pattern of expression of the ALP gene transcripts containing either exon 1a or exon 1b, we carried out Northern blotting analysis of RNA from renal cancer cells, osteosarcoma cells (Saos-2, OST) and liver.
We made specific probes for each exon by using synthetic oligodeoxynucleotide.
When exon 1a-specific probe was used, similar transcript bands were detected in all tissues. In contrast, with exon 1b-specific probe, only very faint signals were obtained in RNAs from OST osteosarcoma cells and liver, whereas, in RNAs, from renal cancer cells and Saos-2 osteosarcoma cells clear bands were detected. The results of this study suggested that two types of ALP gene were expressed in heterogenous cell types.
