STRUCTURE OF THE MOUSE THIOREDOXIN-ENCODING GENE AND ITS PROCESSED PSEUDOGENE

Thioredoxins (TXN) are small proteins with various biological functions, such as redox regulation, found in many species including bacteria, plants and animals. We previously reported the isolation of the TXN-encoding cDNAs from human and mouse. In order to elucidate the functions of the mammalian TXN system, we planned to generate Txn knockout mice, and cloned the genomic DNA fragments using the Txn cDNA as a probe. The Txn gene extends over 12 kb and consists of five exons separated by four introns. Detailed Southern analyses revealed that the mouse genome contains only one active Txn gene and one processed pseudogene (Txn-psl), in contrast to some species which have families of active TXN-encoding genes. These findings should help to understand Txn itself, and provide a basis for transgenic experiments by gene targeting.