Cloning of cDNA for a novel fibrinogen/angiopoietin-related protein, FARP

Using a low abundant gene screening strategy in the human dermal papilla cell cDNA library, we isolated a novel cDNA, which was 1,872 bp of nucleotides in length and contained an open reading frame encoding 405 amino acids. We designated it 'fibrinogen/angiopoietin-related protein' (FARP) as it contained the characteristic coiled-coil domain and fibrinogen-like domain in the NH2- and COOH-terminal, which are conserved in angiopoietins. FARP has a highly hydrophobic region at the N-terminus that is typical of a secretory signal sequence. Recently, a very similar gene, HFARP, was cloned and they have a difference of only 18 amino acids in N-terminus. While HFARP was expressed only in the liver, northern blot analysis showed that FARP mRNA is abundantly expressed in the liver, placenta, prostate, and ovary in human adult tissues. It was also expressed in the fetal liver and lung carcinoma cell line. Further study will be needed to clarify the function of the FARP gene.