Isolation of dynein heavy chain cDNAs from trout testis which predict an extensive carboxyl-terminal alpha-helical coiled-coil domain.

A Mg2+-dependent ATPase activity has been purified from trout sperm axonemes which has properties characteristic of a dynein ATPase. A polyclonal antiserum prepared against the dynein heavy chains has been used to isolate dynein heavy chain (DYHC) cDNAs from a trout testis lambda gt11 cDNA expression library. beta-galactosidase fusion proteins produced in lambda gt11 by these trout cDNAs cross-reacted with a heterologous anti-sea urchin dynein antiserum. Northern blot analyses demonstrated that the RNA transcripts detected have sizes (7.5 - 12 kb) consistent with those expected for the dynein heavy chains. All the DYHC cDNAs encode portions of a highly unusual DNA coding sequence comprised of 21 bp direct repeats. The predicted open reading frame of this repeat is Ile/Leu-His-Val-Ile-Gln-Tyr-Ser and is characteristic of an extensive alpha-helical coiled-coil domain. The presence of an in-frame translation termination codon indicates that this domain is located at the carboxyl-terminus of the DYHC. Southern blot analyses demonstrated a low, if not single, copy number for this gene and conservation of this domain in other vertebrates. DYHC transcripts reach their highest level in testis, but are also abundant in brain tissue.