The Isolation and Characterisation of the Ovine Growth Hormone Gene

The ovine growth hormone gene has been isolated and sequenced, together with about 1 kbp of DNA flanking each end of the gene. The structure of the gene is similar to that found for other growth hormone genes, particularly the bovine gene, and has a primary transcript of 1792 bp, with five exons, and with intron sizes of 264 bp, 231 bp, 227 bp and 273 bp. The gene is flanked by artiodactyl-specific middle-repetitive DNA, consisting mainly of elements belonging to the 'C-A3' family of repeated DNA. A previously unreported sequence has been found, which we have named an 'E' element.