Sequence organisation of rat seminal vesicle F gene: location of transcriptional start point and sequence comparison with six other androgen-regulated genes.

Seminal vesicle F gene, encoding an androgen-regulated serine-rich structural protein of the rat copulatory plug, has been sequenced together with 5' and 3' flanking regions. The intron/exon arrangement of the gene deduced from restriction maps was confirmed. The major and possible minor transcriptional start points were located by primer extension analysis and S1 nuclease mapping. A published nucleotide sequence for seminal vesicle S gene which also encodes an androgen-regulated protein of the copulatory plug has been extended to allow comparison of F and S genes. The considerable sequence homology between the two genes confirms their evolutionary relatedness. Homology is especially high in their promoter regions and their transcriptional start points are identical. They share several regions of dyad symmetry including one just upstream of the promoter. The upstream regions of F and S genes were compared with those of five other androgen-responsive rodent genes in an attempt to identify common sequence motifs that might be involved in hormonal regulation of gene expression.