The gene for the hemocyanin subunit e of the tarantula Eurypelma californicum has been isolated from a genomic phage library by using a corresponding cDNA clone as a probe. The transcriptional unit spans a chromosomal region of about 55 kilobase pairs (kbp). The gene consists ofnine exons that are separated by large introns. The intron/exon boundaries were determined by direct comparison of genomic and cDNA sequences. A putative promoter region ("TATA" box, reversed "CAAT" box) 100 bp 5' to the translational initiation codon strongly suggests the presence of a functional gene. The 3' flanking region carries the polyadenylylation signal (AATAAA) and several conserved structures for the 3' splicing of the pre-mRNA. A comparison of the gene architecture of the subunit e gene with the three-dimensional structure of the arthropod hemocyanin subunit shows a good correspondence with the division of the subunit into three domains (two exons coding for the first, three coding for the second, and four coding for the third domain). The relationship to molluscan hemocyanins, different tyrosinases, and the larval serum proteins is discussed.
Applied DNA typing in medico-legal investigations, in criminalistic practice, and in paternity cases often relies on high inclusion and exclusion probabilities. For that reason, the short autosomal tandem repeat locus D8D306 was validated for forensic use and incorporated into a nonoverlapping multiplex reaction with HUMDHFRP2 and HUMCD4: The allele frequencies of D8S306 in four different regions of Germany (n = 1220 alleles) were determined for use in a population database; the allele distributions did not significantly deviate from each other. The hererozygosity of D8S306 is 83%, expected exclusion chance in stain cases is 96% (paternity cases: 69%), the lowest amount of successfully amplified DNA was 30 pg. The alleles are in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.
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