Structure, expression, and conserved physical linkage of mouse testicular cell adhesion molecule-1 (TCAM-1) gene.

Isolation and characterization were performed for cDNA encoding mouse testicular cell adhesion molecule-1 (TCAM-1) using 2908 bases coding for a protein having 548 amino acids (60 kDa). Mouse TCAM-1 protein was found to consist of seven domains for signal sequence, five immunoglobulin (Ig) domains, and the transmembrane plus cytoplasmic domain. TCAM-1 gene and the region linking it to growth hormone (GH) gene located downstream from the TCAM-1 gene were then analyzed. The mouse TCAM-1 gene was 11.6 kb in length with 8 exons; the same as for the 12.0 kb rat gene. The distance from the TCAM-1 to GH gene was 12.5 kb in the mouse genome, and 7.6 kb in the rat. By Northern hybridization, 3.1-kb TCAM-1 mRNA was detected in 17-day testis and would appear present in pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids.     

The sequence of cDNA encoding lipoprotein lipase. A member of a lipase gene family

cDNA clones corresponding to the entire coding region of mature lipoprotein lipase were identified by antibody screening of a mouse macrophage library and sequenced. The predicted amino acid sequence indicates that the mature protein contains 447 amino acids with a molecular weight of 50,314. Comparison of the nucleotide and amino acid sequence with those of rat hepatic lipase and porcine pancreatic lipase reveals extensive homology among the enzymes, indicating that they are members of a gene family of lipases. Most striking is a conservation of five disulfide bridges in all three enzymes, strongly suggesting that the enzymes have similar overall folding patterns. Lipoprotein lipase is also shown to be extraordinarily conserved among mouse, human, and bovine species. The mRNA for lipoprotein lipase is abundant in heart and adipose tissue but is also present in a wide variety of other tissues. There are two major species of mRNA in mouse and human tissues examined, 3.6 and 3.4 kilobases (kb) in size. Rat tissues, on the other hand, contain only the 3.6-kb species while bovine tissues contain an additional 1.7-kb species.