Endocrine Genes: Analytical Methods, Experimental Approaches And Selected Systems

The application of recombinant DNA techniques to endocrinology is an exciting area of biomedical research. These and other new methods have made it possible to clone many endocrine genes--such as those for insulin and growth hormone--to determine their nucleatide sequences, and to study their expression both in vitro and in vivo. Derived from a series of molecular endocrinology research seminars, this book covers the basics of gene cloning, structural analysis and the regulation of gene expression in selected endocrine systems. The first part focuses on analytical methods and experimental approaches, including DNA-mediated gene transfer, identification of tissue-specific transcription factors and regulatory sequences, in situ hybridization of mRNA, and gene mapping on human chromosomes. The second part presents molecular studies of various endocrine systems, each combining different approaches.