Nucleotide sequence of β-tubulin gene from the soft coralscleronephthya gracillimum (kükenthal)

We cloned the complete cDNA of the β-tubulin from the soft coral,Scleronephthya gracillimum (Kükenthal) (Alcyonacea, Octocorallia, Anthozoa, Cnidaria), via the random sequencing of a cDNA library and the 5′-rapid amplification of cDNA end (RACE) technique. The full-length cDNA of theS. gracillimum β-tubulin comprised 1541 bp, not including the poly (A)⁺ stretch, also contained a complete open reading frame, which codes for a total of 445 amino acids. The amino acid residues 16-402 appeared to be in a state of conservation in a variety of animals. Northern blot analysis clearly demonstrated that the sequence we have obtained is, indeed, the full-length cDNA of the β-tubulin gene inS. gracillimum.