Erythropoietin receptor spliced forms differentially expressed in blind subterranean mole rats Imad Shams 1 , Eviatar Nevo 2 and Aaron Avivi 2 ,3 Laboratory of Animal Molecular Evolution, Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa, Israel 3 Correspondence: Laboratory of Animal Molecular Evolution, Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel. E-mail: aaron@esti.haifa.ac.il <h3>SPECIFIC AIMS</h3> The blind subterranean mole rat of the Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies that inhabits underground burrow systems provides a unique experimental system. In field measurements of Spalax ’s natural underground habitat in flooded heavy clay soils during the rainy season, levels of 7.2% O 2 and 6.1% CO 2 were recorded. Great differences in the structure and expression of the erythropoietin gene in subterranean Spalax when compared with aboveground Rattus have been shown. In the present study we report the DNA sequence and the expression patterns of two forms of the Spalax ’s erythropoietin receptor ( sEpoR) in different developmental stages and hypoxic conditions compared with Rattus . <h3>PRINCIPAL FINDINGS</h3> <h3>1. Cloning</h3> Full-length sEpoR mRNA was amplified and sequenced from the four Spalax species in Israel. The only potential glycosylation site in the tentative EpoR protein (amino acids NYS at
/lp/fed-of-american-socs-for-experimental-biology/erythropoietin-receptor-spliced-forms-differentially-expressed-in-X1x6Bkg5Sz