title: Structure of the guinea pig neutrophil cationic peptide gene.
abstract: Guinea pig neutrophils contain the antimicrobial cationic peptides GNCP-1 and GNCP-2 in the granules. In this study, the GNCP gene was isolated, and the structure was characterized. Using cDNA probes, one phage clone was isolated from a guinea pig genomic library. The gene spanned greater than 3 kb, and comprised three exons and two introns. Sequence analysis revealed that the gene encoded GNCP-2. Exon 1 mainly coded for the 5' untranslated region, exon 2 coded for the prepro-peptide region of GNCP-2, and exon 3 coded for the mature peptide region of GNCP-2 and the 3' untranslated region. Primer extension analysis indicated that the transcription initiation site was located to a thymidine residue, 93 bp upstream of the ATG initiation codon of GNCP-2 mRNA. A possible TATA box was located 24 bp upstream of the transcription start site. Interestingly, the pyrimidine-rich sequences identified in the promoter regions of the human neutrophil elastase and myeloperoxidase genes were also found in the 5' flanking region of the GNCP-2 gene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Juntendo University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nagaoka
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Someya
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iwabuchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamashita
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001483:Base Sequence; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005091:Exons; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D016385:TATA Box; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001798:Blood Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C030509:neutrophil basic proteins; D004247:DNA