Sequence and chromosomal assignment of a human novel cDNA: similarity to gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the predominant inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain. Although initially thought to be confined to the central nervous system, GABAergic activity has also been described in other tissues throughout the body. In the present study, we report the cloning and localization of human GABA transporter cDNA and document its expression in various human tissues. A human liver cDNA library was initially screened by a 32P-labeled murine brain GABA transporter 3 (GAT-3) cDNA probe, and full-length cDNA was cloned by employing Marathon-Ready human kidney cDNA. The human GABA transporter cDNA encoded a 569 amino acid hydrophobic protein with 12 transmembrane domains (TMs). Search of published sequences revealed high homology with rat GAT-2, murine GAT-3 cDNA, human solute carrier family 6 member 13 (SLC6A13), and a human peripheral betaine/GABA transporter. Northern blot analyses demonstrated that the human GABA transporter is expressed strongly in the kidney and to a lesser extent in the liver and brain. The sequence was well matched with human chromosome 12p13.3, suggesting the human GABA transporter contains 14 exons. The above findings confirm the existence of and further characterize a specific GABA transporter in human tissues.     

Human periplakin: genomic organization in a clonally unstable region of chromosome 16p with an abundance of repetitive sequence elements

Periplakin, a member of the plakin family of proteins, has been recently characterized by cDNA cloning, and the corresponding gene, PPL, has been mapped to human chromosome 16p13.3 (Aho et al., 1998, Genomics 48: 242-247). Periplakin has also been shown to serve as an autoantigen in a malignancy-associated autoimmune blistering disease, paraneoplastic pemphigus (Mahoney et al., 1998, J. Invest. Dermatol. 111: 308-313). In this study, we have elucidated the intron-exon organization of human PPL and characterized its promoter region. The flanking 5' sequences were rich in G and C ( approximately 80%) and included multiple AP2 sites and a SP1 site, while no canonical TATA or CCAAT sequences were found. The functionality of the upstream sequences (-709 to +135) as a promoter in cultured epidermal keratinocytes was detected by a CAT reporter gene, and a limited region (-382 to +135) showed activity in cultured dermal fibroblasts, attesting to cell-type specificity of the promoter. The genomic organization, including the intron-exon borders, was determined by direct nucleotide sequencing of human genomic P1 clones. Comparative analysis of cDNA and genomic sequences revealed that PPL consists of 22 exons, with the distribution of exons in PPL being consistent with that of other plakin genes: 21 small exons, separated by large introns, encode the amino-terminal globular domain, and 1 large exon encodes the entire rod and the tail domains. Characterization of four P1 clones spanning the PPL locus revealed multiple Alu repeats, 20 of them within 33 kb of the entirely sequenced segments (0.60/kb), in addition to numerous MIR and L1 elements. These repetitive elements could lead to the clonal instability detected throughout the genomic P1 clones and may give rise to the genomic rearrangements possibly underlying the paraneoplastic pemphigus.     

Characterization of size-fractionated cDNA libraries generated by the in vitro recombination-assisted method.

We here modified a previously reported method for the construction of cDNA libraries by employing an in vitro recombination reaction to make it more suitable for comprehensive cDNA analysis. For the evaluation of the modified method, sets of size-selected cDNA libraries of four different mouse tissues and human brain were constructed and characterized. Clustering analysis of the 3' end sequence data of the mouse cDNA libraries indicated that each of the size-fractionated libraries was complex enough for comprehensive cDNA analysis and that the occurrence rates of unidentified cDNAs varied considerably depending on their size and on the tissue source. In addition, the end sequence data of human brain cDNAs thus generated showed that this method decreased the occurrence rates of chimeric clones by more than fivefold compared to conventional ligation-assisted methods when the cDNAs were larger than 5 kb. To further evaluate this method, we entirely sequenced 13 human unidentified cDNAs, named KIAA1990-KIAA2002, and characterized them in terms of the predicted protein sequences and their expression profiles. Taking all these results together, we here conclude that this new method for the construction of size-fractionated cDNA libraries makes it possible to analyze cDNAs efficiently and comprehensively.     

Identification of a novel fibroblast growth factor, FGF-23, preferentially expressed in the ventrolateral thalamic nucleus of the brain

We isolated mouse cDNA encoding a novel FGF (251 amino acids). As this is the 23rd documented FGF, we termed it FGF-23. FGF-23 has a hydrophobic amino terminus ( approximately 24 amino acids), which is a typical signal sequence. As expected, recombinant mouse FGF-23 was efficiently secreted by High Five insect cell-infected recombinant baculovirus containing the cDNA, indicating that FGF-23 is a secreted protein. We also isolated human cDNA encoding FGF-23 (251 amino acids), which is highly identical ( approximately 72% amino acid identity) to mouse FGF-23. Of human FGF family members, FGF-23 is most similar to FGF-21 and FGF-19 ( approximately 24% and approximately 22% amino acid identities, respectively). Human FGF-23 gene was localized on the chromosome 12p13 and found to be tandem linked (within 5.5 kb) to human FGF-6 gene. The expression of FGF-23 mRNA in mouse adult tissues was examined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. FGF-23 mRNA was mainly expressed in the brain and thymus at low levels. The localization of FGF-23 mRNA in the brain was examined by in situ hybridization. FGF-23 mRNA in the brain was found to be preferentially expressed in the ventrolateral thalamic nucleus. Therefore, FGF-23 is expected a unique FGF that plays roles in the function of the ventrolateral thalamic nucleus.     

Stereoselective transport and uptake of propranolol across human intestinal Caco‐2 cell monolayers

The transport and uptake of individual propranolol (PPL) enantiomers were studied in human intestinal Caco‐2 cell monolayers, and a reversed‐phase HPLC‐UV assay was used for quantitative analysis. S‐PPL and R‐PPL across Caco‐2 cell monolayers was determined in the concentrations range of 10–500 μM in both apical (AP) to basolateral (BL) and BL to AP directions. S‐PPL exhibited greater permeability than R‐PPL in the AP to BL direction, whereas in the BL to AP direction S‐enantiomer transported less than R‐enantiomer. Uptake of R‐PPL was significantly higher than that of S‐PPL either from AP side or from BL side. The statistically significant differences in uptake were observed at the concentrations range from 10 to 50 μM. Furthermore, the apparent Michaelis constant (K_m) and maximal velocity (V_max) also showed significant difference between the two enantiomers. Moreover, the AP to BL transport of PPL enantiomer was markedly decreased by lowering the pH of the apical side but it did not affect the stereoselectivity of PPL across Caco‐2 cell monolayers. The transport and uptake of PPL in the BL to AP direction was not influenced by several protein inhibitors. The results suggest that PPL enantiomers showed stereoselective transport and uptake across the Caco‐2 cell monolayers. A special transport mechanism capable of directing the PPL enantiomers might be present in the Caco‐2 monolayers. Chirality 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Interface-mediated inactivation of pancreatic lipase by a water-reactive compound: 2-sulfobenzoic cyclic anhydride

2-Sulfobenzoic cyclic anhydride (SBA) rapidly and selectively inactivates porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL) only when added during the hydrolysis of an emulsified ester such as tributyrin or dodecyl acetate. The present data suggest that the inactivation of PPL occurs preferentially at the oil/water interface and not in the aqueous phase, since colipase and bile salt were found to adversely affect the inhibition process. Moreover, it is shown that at a molar ratio of SBA to pure PPL of 1, 40% of the lipase activity was already irreversibly lost. Complete inactivation was observed at SBA to pure PPL molar ratios of 120. A 60% inactivation occurred when 0.5 mol of 3H-labeled SBA was attached per mole of PPL. The SBA-inactivated PPL competes for binding to the dodecyl acetate/water interface as efficiently as the native enzyme. Larger SBA concentrations are required when crude lipase preparations are used as well as with pure PPL in the presence of bile salts and colipase. Lipases were found to have variable sensitivities to SBA inactivation, depending on their origin. In the presence of bile salts and tributyrin at pH 6.0, human gastric lipase activity was not affected by the presence of a 10(6) molar excess of SBA.     

Development of an indirect method for measuring porcine pancreatic lipase in human duodenal fluid

Patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency are usually treated with porcine pancreatic enzymes but the bioavailability of these enzymes in the gut remains a matter of discussion. In order to determine the duodenal availability of porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL) present in pancreatic extracts (PE) taken orally, we developed a method for quantifying PPL in samples containing both PPL and human pancreatic lipase (HPL). Total pancreatic lipase activity measurements using the pH-stat technique and tributyrin as substrate were combined with an HPL-specific ELISA. Based on the known specific activity of the purified HPL, its activity was deduced from the ELISA measurements, and the PPL activity was obtained by subtracting the HPL activity from the total pancreatic lipase activity. This assay was established and validated using various samples containing pure PPL and recombinant HPL or PE, mixed or not with human duodenal juice. Samples collected in vivo from patients treated with PE were also tested. It was found that PPL did not affect the HPL ELISA, and the indirect PPL assay gave a measurement accuracy of 6.6% with the samples containing pure PPL and 10% with those containing PE. This assay was also used successfully to discriminate between PPL and the endogenous HPL present in the duodenal contents of patients with severe pancreatic insufficiency treated with PE. This method might provide a useful means of assessing the availability of PEs at their site of action, in the absence of a PPL-specific ELISA.     

用差异显示法从人胎脑基因文库分离一个编码序列

人１８周、２２周胎儿脑、肝肾组织总ｍ ＲＮＡ 用ＤＤＲＴ－ＰＣＲ显示出差异的条带,回收胎脑和肝肾特异性表达的４８７条电泳条带．其中某些条带用３种组织的ｃＤＮＡ 探针作点杂交,筛选只对胎儿脑总呈阳性的ＤＮＡ 片段．以其中某一条带ＤＮＡ 为探针,从胎儿脑ｃＤＮＡ 文库筛选阳性克隆,得到ＧＣ５８．经Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎ 杂交和ＤＮＡ 测序,表明它是人脑表达的序列,与数据库中ＫＩＡＡ０５１５有同源性,并编码一个有２７４个氨基酸的蛋白质,该蛋白质序列尚未见报道．探讨了ＤＤＲＴ－ＰＣＲ的条件和假阳性问题．     

TTYH2, a human homologue of the Drosophila melanogaster gene tweety, is located on 17q24 and upregulated in renal cell carcinoma

Using differential display PCR, we identified a novel gene upregulated in renal cell carcinoma. Characterization of the full-length cDNA and gene revealed that the encoded protein is a human homologue of the Drosophila melanogaster Tweety protein, and so we have termed the novel protein TTYH2. The orthologous mouse cDNA was also identified and the predicted mouse protein is 81% identical to the human protein. The encoded human TTYH2 protein is 534 amino acids and, like the other members of the tweety-related protein family, is a putative cell surface protein with five transmembrane regions. TTYH2 is located at 17q24; it is expressed most highly in brain and testis and at lower levels in heart, ovary, spleen, and peripheral blood leukocytes. Expression of this gene is upregulated in 13 of 16 (81%) renal cell carcinoma samples examined. In addition to a putative role in brain and testis, the over-expression of TTYH2 in renal cell carcinoma suggests that it may have an important role in kidney tumorigenesis.     

A posterior probability of linkage-based re-analysis of schizophrenia data yields evidence of linkage to chromosomes 1 and 17

OBJECTIVE: Linkage analysis using 22 Canadian pedigrees identified a promising schizophrenia candidate region on 1q23 with a maximum 2-point HLOD under a recessive model of 5.8 [Brzustowicz et al. 2000]. In the current study, we revisited this data set using a Bayesian linkage analysis technique, namely the posterior probability of linkage (PPL). METHODS: The PPL has been developed as an alternative to traditional linkage analysis. It differs from both LOD scores and 'non-parametric' methods in that it directly measures the probability of linkage given the data, and incorporates prior genomic information. RESULTS: As expected, PPL results for 1q23 supported the previously observed linkage, with an estimated multipoint PPL of 99.7%. However, the PPL supported two further results: a second peak on chromosome 1 at 1p13 with a multipoint with PPL of 70% and a chromosome 17 marker (D17S784 at 17q25) with a multipoint PPL of 44%. CONCLUSIONS: The PPL-based analysis presented has the advantage over other likelihood-based linkage methods in that it avoids maximization and produces a less complex view of the strength of evidence for linkage.     

Molecular cloning, sequence analysis, and functional expression of a novel growth regulator, oncostatin M.

Oncostatin M is a polypeptide of Mr approximately 28,000 that acts as a growth regulator for many cultured mammalian cells. We report the cDNA and genomic cloning, sequence analysis, and functional expression in heterologous cells of oncostatin M. cDNA clones were isolated from mRNA of U937 cells that had been induced to differentiate into macrophagelike cells by treatment with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, and a genomic clone was also isolated from human brain DNA. Sequence analysis of these clones established the 1,814-base-pair cDNA sequence as well as exon boundaries. This sequence predicted that oncostatin M is synthesized as a 252-amino-acid polypeptide, with a 25-residue hydrophobic sequence resembling a signal peptide at the N terminus. The predicted oncostatin M amino acid sequence shared no homology with other known proteins, but the sequence of the 3' noncoding region of the cDNA contained an A + T-rich stretch with sequence motifs found in the 3' untranslated regions of many cytokine and lymphokine cDNAs. Oncostatin M mRNA of approximately 2 kilobase pairs was detected in phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-treated U937 cells and in activated human T cells. Transfection of cDNA encoding the oncostatin M precursor into COS cells resulted in the secretion of proteins with the structural and functional properties of oncostatin M. The unique amino acid sequence, expression by lymphoid cells, and growth-regulatory activities of oncostatin M suggest that it is a novel cytokine.     

Mapping of a human brain voltage-gated calcium channel to human chromosome 12p13-pter

Degenerate DNA oligomers coding for highly conserved regions of the voltage-gated calcium channel were synthesized for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using DNA from a human brain cDNA library as template. PCR amplified a 640-bp DNA fragment from the human brain cDNA library. Sequencing revealed that this fragment encodes part of a protein highly homologous to a subtype of the dihydropyridine-sensitive calcium channel cloned from rabbit heart and rat brain. Southern analysis of panels of somatic cell hybrids mapped the 640-bp fragment, CACNL1A1, to human chromosome 12p13-pter.     

Human tissue factor: cDNA sequence and chromosome localization of the gene

A human placenta cDNA library in lambda gt11 was screened for the expression of tissue factor antigens with rabbit polyclonal anti-human tissue factor immunoglobulin G. Among 4 million recombinant clones screened, one positive, lambda HTF8, expressed a protein that shared epitopes with authentic human brain tissue factor. The 1.1-kilobase cDNA insert of lambda HTF8 encoded a peptide that contained the amino-terminal protein sequence of human brain tissue factor. Northern blotting identified a major mRNA species of 2.2 kilobases and a minor species of approximately 3.2 kilobases in poly(A)+ RNA of placenta. Only 2.2-kilobase mRNA was detected in human brain and in the human monocytic U937 cell line. In U937 cells, the quantity of tissue factor mRNA was increased severalfold by exposure of the cells to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. Additional cDNA clones were selected by hybridization with the cDNA insert of lambda HTF8. These overlapping isolates span 2177 base pairs of the tissue factor cDNA sequence that includes a 5'-noncoding region of 75 base pairs, an open reading frame of 885 base pairs, a stop codon, a 3'-noncoding region of 1141 base pairs, and a poly(A) tail. The open reading frame encodes a 33-kilodalton protein of 295 amino acids. The predicted sequence includes a signal peptide of 32 or 34 amino acids, a probable extracellular factor VII binding domain of 217 or 219 amino acids, a transmembrane segment of 23 amino acids, and a cytoplasmic tail of 21 amino acids. There are three potential glycosylation sites with the sequence Asn-X-Thr/Ser.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Localization of brain nitric oxide synthase (NOS) to human chromosome 12.

Recent research has shown that nitric oxide is a novel neuronal second messenger and transmitter that may be involved in neuronal cell death and damage in neurological illness. To map the chromosomal localization of this important brain enzyme, a rat cDNA probe was prepared by RNA PCR from rat cerebellum RNA. This rat cDNA was used to isolate a human nitric oxide synthase (NOS) cDNA from a human cerebellum cDNA library. The human cDNA clone containing 1.2 kb of brain NOS cDNA was hybridized to Southern blots containing DNAs obtained from human-rodent hybrid cell line panels using EcoRI and HindIII digestion to ascertain the location of the human NOS gene. These data showed that the human brain nitric oxide synthase mapped within 12q14-qter on human chromosome 12.