Phenobarbital-mediated modulation of gene expression in rat liver. Analysis of cDNA clones.

Phenobarbital evokes a pleiotypic response in the liver characterized by cell hypertrophy and mono-oxygenase induction. These phenomena arise through complex modulation mechanisms changing the pattern of protein synthesis, distinct from those triggered by other well known inducers, like steroid hormones or polycyclic hydrocarbons. To investigate the mechanisms involved in regulating the expression of the phenobarbital-inducible tissue-specific genes, we constructed two libraries of recombinant bacterial plasmids pBR322 in Escherichia coli.

Induction of alpha 2u globulin mRNA by phenobarbital in rat liver: characterization of a cDNA clone.

A clone has been selected from a cDNA library previously constructed from phenobarbital pre-treated rat liver polysomal poly(A)+ RNA, which was reverse transcribed. The double-stranded cDNA was inserted by GC homopolymeric tailing in the Pst I site of pAT 153, and further cloned in E. coli HB101.