Cloning and sequencing of the cDNA for S-acyl fatty acid synthase thioesterase from the uropygial gland of mallard duck.

In vitro translation of poly(A)+ RNA from the uropygial glands of mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) generated a 29-kDa protein which cross-reacted with rabbit antibodies prepared against S-acyl fatty acid synthase thioesterase (Kolattukudy, P. E., Rogers, L., and Flurkey, W. (1985) J. Biol. Chem., 260, 10789-10793). A poly(A)+ RNA fraction enriched in this thioesterase mRNA, isolated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation, was used to prepare cDNA which was cloned in Escherichia coli using the plasmid pUC9. Using hybrid-selected translation and colony hybridization, 17 clones were selected which contained the cDNA for S-acyl fatty acid synthase thioesterase. Northern blot analysis showed that the mature mRNA for this thioesterase contained 1350 nucleotides whereas the cloned cDNA inserts contained 1150-1200 base pairs. Five of the 6 clones tested for 5'-sequence had identical sequences, and the three tested for 3'-end showed the same sequence with poly(A) tails. Two clones, pTE1 and pTE3, representing nearly the full length of mRNA, were selected for sequencing. Maxam-Gilbert and Sanger dideoxy chain termination methods were used on the cloned cDNA and on restriction fragments subcloned in M13 in order to determine the complete nucleotide sequence of the cloned cDNA. The nucleotide sequence showed an open reading frame coding for a peptide of 28.8 kDa. Two peptides isolated from the tryptic digest of the thioesterase purified from the gland showed amino acid sequences which matched with two segments of the sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence. Another segment containing a serine residue showed an amino acid sequence homologous to the active serine-containing segment of the thioesterase domain of fatty acid synthase. Thus, the clones represent cDNA for S-acyl fatty acid synthase thioesterase. The present results constitute the first case of a complete sequence of a thioesterase.