Alphafetoprotein messenger RNA in human embryonal carcinoma grown in nude mice, and cloning of its complementary DNA.

Messenger RNA for human apha-fetoprotein (AFP) was partially purified from human testicular embryonal carcinoma grown in nude mice. DNA complementary to the mRNA was synthesized, tailed with oligo(dC) and inserted at the PstI site of the plasmid pBR322 tailed with oligo(dG). Escherichia coli strain LE392 was transformed with the chimeric plasmid and colonies were screened for human AFP mRNA sequences by hybridization with DNA complementary to mouse AFP mRNA (greater than 95% pure). Five colonies showed positive hybridization. The plasmid pHAF2, containing the largest insert, 900 nucleotides, was further characterized by hybrid-arrest of translation of AFP mRNA, restriction endonuclease mapping and partial nucleotide sequence analysis. It was found that the AFP complementary DNA (cDNA) sequence in pHAF2 corresponded to the 3'-end of AFP messenger RNA (mRNA), and showed a restriction map entirely different from that of mouse AFP cDNA clones previously reported.