title: The alpha subunit of meprin A. Molecular cloning and sequencing, differential expression in inbred mouse strains, and evidence for divergent evolution of the alpha and beta subunits.
abstract: Meprin A, a membrane-bound oligomeric metalloendopeptidase, contains two different subunits, alpha and beta. We report here the cloning and sequencing of the alpha subunit cDNA. The translated polypeptide consists of 760 amino acids, including a preprosequence (77 amino acids) that precedes the NH2 terminus of the purified enzyme. The next 198 amino acids constitute the "astacin family" protease domain, which includes the astacin family signature sequence, HE(L,I)XHXXGFXHE(Q,H)XRXDRDX(Y,H)(V,I)X(I,V). An immunoglobulin/major histocompatibility complex protein signature was found at the end of the protease domain. At the COOH terminus of the alpha subunit, there is an epidermal growth factor-like domain, followed by a transmembrane domain, and six additional amino acids. Ten potential glycosylation sites have been identified, and at least three of those sites are glycosylated. Northern blot analyses of kidney tissue from C57BL/6 and C3H/He mice indicate that variations in meprin A activity in these strains reflect differences in the levels of the alpha subunit mRNA. Several internal peptide sequences obtained from the beta subunit indicate that it is approximately 50% identical to the alpha subunit. Furthermore, NH2-terminal sequence analyses (39 residues) indicate that rat and mouse alpha are 79% identical, rat and mouse beta are 74% identical, and that alpha and beta subunits for both species are 47% identical. These data indicate that alpha and beta are closely related products of divergent evolution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg 24061-0308.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Gorbea
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Flannery
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Beynon
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bond
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D006031:Glycosylation; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; C053833:meprin A; C071288:astacin