We have established the complete coding sequence of the human vimentin gene. It had 91% homology to the coding sequence of the Syrian hamster vimentin gene (Quax et al., Cell 35:215-223, 1983) and partial homology to several other sequences coding for intermediate filament proteins. The most striking difference between the Syrian hamster and human vimentin genes was in the 3' untranslated region, which was considerably longer in the Syrian hamster. Using RNA blots and a human vimentin cDNA clone from an Okayama-Berg library, we have established that expression of the vimentin gene was growth regulated. The steady-state levels of cytoplasmic vimentin mRNA in 3T3 cells were increased by serum and platelet-derived growth factor, but not by epidermal growth factor, insulin, or platelet-poor plasma. The increase in expression of the vimentin gene that occurred when G0-phase cells were stimulated to proliferate was detected in six different cell types from four different species. The expression of the vimentin gene was also increased when HL60 cells were induced to differentiate by phorbol esters; it decreased when differentiation was induced by retinoic acid.
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