Characterization of a cDNA encoding rat sterol carrier protein2

Sterol carrier protein2 (SCP2) is a 13.2-kD protein that is thought to be involved in the intracellular transport of cholesterol. Using synthetic oligonucleotides based on the protein sequence of SCP2, a clone (SP43) was isolated from a rat liver cDNA library. The DNA sequence revealed that the cDNA could encode a polypeptide of 273 amino acids (28.9 kD) or 143 amino acids (15.3 kD) in which the carboxy-terminal 123 amino acids are identical to the SCP2 protein. RNA blot hybridization revealed that a variety of rat tissues contain a homologous RNA of a size similar to SP43 (approximately 1.5 kb). Levels of SCP2 mRNA increased in parallel with cytochrome P450scc mRNA in the immature gonadotropin-primed rat ovary. The isolation of a cDNA clone encoding SCP2 will facilitate studies on its role in cholesterol metabolism.