title: Molecular cloning and characterization of a new member of the gap junction gene family, connexin-31.
abstract: A new member of the connexin gene family has been identified and designated rat connexin-31 (Cx31) based on its predicted molecular mass of 30,960 daltons. Cx31 is 270 amino acids long and is coded for by a single copy gene. It is expressed as a 1.7-kilobase mRNA that is detected in placenta, Harderian gland, skin, and eye. Cx31 is highly conserved and can be detected in species as distantly related to rat as Xenopus laevis. It exhibits extensive sequence similarity to the previously identified connexins, 58, 50, and 40% amino acid identity to Cx26, Cx32, and Cx43, respectively. When conservation of predicted phosphorylation sites is used to adjust the alignment of Cx31 to other connexins, a unique alignment of three predicted protein kinase C phosphorylation sites near the carboxyl terminus of Cx31 with three sites at the carboxyl terminus of Cx43 is revealed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 91125.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hoh
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: John
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Revel
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D000072259:Connexin 26; D017630:Connexins; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D010802:Phylogeny; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013552:Swine; D014981:Xenopus
chemical_list: D017630:Connexins; C000607042:GJB2 protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D000072259:Connexin 26; C068044:GJB3 protein, human; D012313:RNA