Murine MLP: cloning and expression in the embryonic head.

ABSTRACT

Differential display reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (DD RT-PRC) was used to isolate cDNA clones of mRNA expressed in particular compartments of the developing murine head. One clone has been characterized and found to be the murine homologue of the MLP genes. In other species the LIM-domain containing MLPs are expressed specifically in muscle. In situ hybridization and RT-PCR have confirmed that the murine gene is expressed during both cardiac and skeletal myogenesis. Our data show that DD RT-PCR is a valuable technique to clone cDNA clones from minute tissue samples by virtue of the gene's expression pattern rather than by a process of library screening by homology.